


Bungle in the Jungle

by Arionrhod, McKay



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-03
Updated: 2017-05-03
Packaged: 2018-10-27 18:10:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 36,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10814118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Arionrhod/pseuds/Arionrhod, https://archiveofourown.org/users/McKay/pseuds/McKay
Summary: After being stranded in the middle of nowhere, temperamental chef turned TV host Severus Snape develops a new-found appreciation for his capable right-hand man, Remus Lupin.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for Snupin Santa 2009.

If there was one thing Severus Snape knew well, it was food.

People often had a hard time believing that, of course; it was odd for anyone so whipcord lean and unjovial to be a connoisseur of fine dining. It was a common belief in society that anyone who loved food, savored the subtle interplay of flavor and texture, who could produce culinary marvels that titillated the palate and ensnared the senses should be large and benign and... well, _friendly_. Food was the stuff of everyday life, the fabric that wove together social occasions that nourished both body and soul. For it to be the realm of someone who constantly seemed to be displeased with everything and everyone around him, a veritable recluse who could stab at the heart the finest restaurant and tear down the very bastions of haute cuisine was something that few people could fathom.

Fortunately, however, it didn't keep people from watching his programme.

Perhaps it was his dissimilarity to most of his colleagues and competition that gave Severus such a following. The reasons why people tuned in to see which top tier chef or whose new fusion eatery Severus was going to eviscerate each week were of little concern to him. All that mattered to him was that he enjoyed his work and that no one at the network tried to "tone him down"; he'd made it quite clear that any editing of which he didn't approve or any attempt to make him seem "nicer" would be met by him summarily exiting their employ and taking himself to more acceptable climes. That hadn't gone over well with some of the network executives who seemed to have a desire to please everyone, even the dunderheads who thought they were chefs, but Severus' agreement to sign a disclaimer that all opinions he expressed were his own had mollified them to an extent. Of _course_ they were his own opinions! If he'd wanted to serve up the same kind of verbal pablum that the typical restaurant did to their clientele, he'd still be working as a sous chef in Soho.

As it was, his inability to settle for less than the absolute best in any establishment for which he worked had led him to be promoted from sous chef to head chef at House of Black, an up-and-coming establishment financed by the playboy Regulus Black, who had been a friend of Severus' since their schooldays. Any accusations of favoritism were quickly overcome by the rave reviews the restaurant began to receive, and the awards for excellence, some of them grudgingly given, that the culinary establishment laid at Severus' feet.

Knowing when he had a good thing going, Regulus had offered Severus the opportunity to develop his own restaurant from scratch, selecting everything about it and building it from the ground up. Severus accepted, meeting with architects and suppliers while still running House of Black, and within five years of leaving culinary school, Severus opened Le Prince, which swiftly became so popular with the upper crust and the jet set that tables were often booked months in advance.

By the time he was thirty, however, the day-to-day grind of overseeing two restaurants was beginning to pall. Severus had defied every critic, but the thrill of meeting new challenges simply wasn't there. It was at this point that he'd gone with Regulus to eat at a supposed "fine dining" establishment opened by the eccentric "personality chef" Sybil Trelawney, one which had been raved about in the papers, and he'd come away so incensed at the tripe being served up that he'd written a scathing letter to The Times and told them that if their critic couldn't tell the difference between pig slop and food meant for humans, then he had a bright career ahead of him providing plenty of patients for hospital emergency rooms.

For whatever reason, someone at The Times had been either amused or impressed by the tone of his letter, and he was offered a position replacing the critic upon whom he'd heaped his vitriol. Severus had been skeptical at first, but he accepted the offer of a weekly column, which gave him the opportunity to actually dine at the restaurants of his competitors, something he'd not had much time for in the preceding years. As it happened, his column became very popular, and to receive a positive review from him was a matter of pride for the few restaurants which actually garnered his approval.

Within another year, Severus had come to the attention of the BBC, where the executives apparently had found that there was a market for programmes that catered to people who enjoyed food and dining so much that they would even spend hours of the day watching someone else talk about it. Severus rejected one offer of a pure cooking programme, and then another in which the producers wanted him to oversee a competition between a pack of idiots to win the opportunity to run their own restaurant. The next person to approach him had apparently taken some time to talk to people who had known him and broached an idea that actually had some merit: a programme that combined demonstration cooking with travel, allowing Severus to go to exotic locations and focus on the unusual cuisine of people around the world, then bring it into the studio and show viewers how to incorporate it into their own menus.

As it happened, Severus found _that_ idea quite appealing. He'd had very few opportunities to travel due to the demands of his career, and he relished the new challenge combined with an opportunity for him to expand his own repertoire and learn exotic ingredients and techniques that few people had opportunity to experience. He would see the world he'd been missing out on while his oft-parodied nose had been to the proverbial grindstone.

The transition from print to television hadn't been entirely smooth, of course; Severus found working with a television crew could often be frustrating and annoying, especially when they wanted to do several retakes of the process of cooking a complicated or delicate dish. He was able to find a sous chef who suited him for the studio work, but it became quickly apparent that he needed a personal assistant to help manage travel plans, schedules, tickets, passports, and to interface with the various people with whom Severus had to deal in the course of producing a segment. Severus' lack of patience with mundane details - and, perhaps even more, his inability to hold his tongue when frustrated by the incompetence of others - necessitated that the person be of good temperament, high ability, great tolerance, and, ideally, surpassing intelligence. Within two months, Severus had gone through fourteen candidates, the longest surviving of which managed four whole days before running away in fear of his sanity. For a week, it looked as though the programme were in serious danger of dying before the first episode aired, and Severus was facing the spectre of failure for the first time in his career, a fact which didn't sit well with him at all.

Then, in a last ditch effort, the studio had sent Remus Lupin to him. Severus' first impression of Remus was that he looked like an elongated Hobbit. Remus wasn't portly, and he was of average height, but he had that rustic, earth-colors look about him from head to toe: nut-brown hair that was longish and wavy, hazel eyes, glasses, usually wearing baggy corduroy trousers in nondescript brown with a tweed jacket, a white button-down shirt, and sometimes even a waistcoat. Severus was, in fact, surprised to learn Remus _didn't_ carry a pocket watch or smoke a pipe. In addition to his unprepossessing appearance, Remus was quiet, reserved, and most importantly, competent at his job, and he let Severus' temper roll over him like water off a duck's back, remaining calm and pleasant and never failing to call Severus "sir".

Severus had been as skeptical of his latest assistant at first as he had been of the others, especially given that Remus didn't seem the type to put his foot down over anything, and Severus, with a predator's instincts, knew that no one who was a pushover would survive long in the television industry. But, amazingly, things went as they should when Remus was around, without Severus being able to determine how the man was able to get anything done without raising his voice or rushing about, pushing at the people who never seemed to move fast enough. Within the first day, a plethora of difficulties seemed to disappear as if by magic, supplies that had been held up for weeks were suddenly being delivered, and Severus was highly suspicious that his new assistant must be threatening people with a pistol when Severus wasn't watching in order to get such results.

Of course, it would take more than a single day to win Severus' respect, even grudgingly given. He'd had no complaints at the end of that first day, and in a rare good mood for once, he'd bid Remus farewell with "Good night, good work. I'll most likely kill you in the morning." It was a line from a film that Severus happened to like a great deal and one of his rare indulgences in an actual joke, and it had earned a smile from Remus, which raised him quite a bit in Severus' estimation. 

By the end of the first week, it had become a running joke between them - Severus' ironic farewell, to which Remus had begun responding with a straight-faced "As you wish, sir." Severus had lifted a brow the first time, given the significance of that particular line in the film, but then he'd accepted it and moved on, knowing that his assistant was simply returning his jest in kind. The first episode had finally been completed, and Severus had to admit that Remus was the sole reason why it had happened at last.

For some reason, Remus hadn't left, even when Severus yelled and snarked about the studio, about incompetent crew, substandard ingredients, or endless takes. Perhaps it was because Severus had never had reason to yell about Remus himself; he yelled _to_ Remus, venting his frustrations to the one person who didn't cringe when Severus got upset or annoyed. Whatever was behind Remus staying on as his assistant, Severus was silently grateful for it; that was probably why he'd moved from calling him "Lupin" to "Remus" within only a few months, without even being aware at first that he'd done so.

It was about that time when Severus began noticing changes in his dressing room as well. First, the cork board with clipped articles about Severus' awards, especially the three stars from Michelin that he earned for Le Prince, appeared on the wall, and a scrapbook of his reviews appeared on the shelf. Then came an iPod with a speaker dock that played soothing classical music without him ever having to turn it on himself. Then he discovered the plush dressing gown in his favorite dark, rich green. Any messages or correspondence he needed to attend to himself were stacked neatly in a small tray, his calendar was always updated, and there was never any clutter on his dressing table. Somehow, Remus always managed to provide a cup of tea or Severus' favorite gourmet coffee when it was most needed, as was Severus' preferred newspaper. Sometimes, it seemed as if Remus had some preternatural ability to know what Severus needed before he was even aware of it himself, and Severus found his professional life humming along far more smoothly and comfortably than ever before, padded by little luxuries he never would have gotten for himself.

For someone who had had to do for himself for so many years, Severus found it almost frighteningly easy to slip into letting Remus take care of him. He felt occasional twinges about it, but he told himself that he'd not _asked_ Remus to do these things; Remus had chosen to do them all on his own, and therefore it wasn't wrong to enjoy them. For whatever reason, Remus seemed to like him, and Severus, for his part, found himself relaxing in Remus' company as he did with no one else except Regulus. 

But his trust in Remus had been fully cemented by something he'd overheard when Remus had only been on the job a short time. Severus had been in a snit over the quality of the fresh produce they'd received for their second episode, and he'd lambasted the studio procurement office about it. Later, backstage, he'd heard the man he'd dressed down complaining to Remus about Severus' demands, and Remus' response had been a calm but frosty, "There's nothing wrong with having high standards, and I expect you to get exactly what he asked for next time." Severus had never questioned Remus' loyalty after that, and had begun to trust in his opinion and abilities to the point to where he'd turned over several of the procurement pieces to him, asking only that Remus come to him with any questions if he wasn't sure about whether something was correct or not.

That had been five years ago, and while Severus didn't contemplate his good fortune in having Remus' assistance very often, he was well aware that his life would be a lot more difficult without Remus in it. He wasn't an effusive man by nature, but he did make certain to express his gratitude to Remus in his own subdued fashion. Whenever they traveled, he paid attention if Remus expressed interest in anything such as shows or souvenirs, and he was generous in making sure that Remus received tickets and items that interested him, although Remus' taciturnity made it difficult at times.

For the most part, Severus was quite pleased about the places they traveled to, but it was becoming increasingly difficult for the studio to come up with new and different locales after five highly successful series. So when Severus received the proposal from his producer that they do a feature on hot peppers, specifically focusing on a rare variety grown in a tiny South American country located at the arse-end of nowhere, he wondered if they were beginning to grasp at straws.

"Remus!" he shouted, pinching the bridge of his nose as he stood and opened the door of his office. He'd managed to migrate most of his non-camera work from the studio to his house over the course of time, which suited both him and the studio crew just fine, since it removed them from the day-to-day line of fire. His income from the show and Le Prince had allowed him to buy a place of his own during his second series, and he'd selected the Victorian monstrosity as much for its isolation as for its positively enormous kitchen, including a massive stone bread oven. Fortunately Remus hadn't seemed to mind the move, and Severus had even set aside a bedroom for his exclusive use, since sometimes they had to keep odd hours.

In what seemed like nanoseconds, Remus appeared, a mug of fragrant hot tea in hand, and he regarded Severus questioningly. "Yes, sir?" he asked, holding out the mug, which Severus already knew would be his favorite blend, sweetened just the way he preferred. "Did the travel itinerary arrive?"

Severus took the mug, grateful for the caffeine that would help soothe his suddenly pounding head. "Yes," he said sourly, after taking a deep, fortifying sip. "What do you know about a place called Parazuela?"

"It's a very small, remote country in South America with a Spanish-based dialect," Remus replied. "Is that where we're going next?"

"I'm afraid so," Severus grumbled, not surprised that Remus had at least heard of the place, since he seemed to pull out odd trivia at the drop of a hat. "They apparently have a chile that rivals the Bhut Jolokia, some indigenous Habanero on steroids. The natives use it extensively in their dishes, and some remote village that is apparently reachable only on llama or something ridiculous has a whole festival dedicated to them. With the interest in the health benefits of hot peppers, the studio has decided that this is a _perfect_ feature to open our sixth series, even if it will take us weeks to get there!"

"Well, it'll be a new experience," Remus said, smiling. "Besides, you like chiles, right? Plus you'll have bragging rights the next time you have dinner with Chef Ripert. No doubt _he's_ never had them."

"I like chiles, but I'm not wild about spending eternity trying to get to them!" Severus drained his tea, shaking his head in denial. "About the only redeeming part of this is that they'll send the camera crew out ahead of us to set up and get the local color shots, so that all we have to do is get there, let the local poobah teach me how to cook the things, then get back to civilization." He paused, giving a shudder. "They don't have electricity, did I mention that?"

Remus gave him a sympathetic look. "I'll pack plenty of batteries," he said with a firm nod. "Don't worry, you won't be without your usual comforts if I have anything to say about it. Air mattress, lamps, water filtering system... Is there anything in particular you'd like to take? I'll start a list."

As always, Remus was on top of things, but even his efficiency didn't lighten Severus' mood. "Indoor plumbing and refrigeration," he muttered, then sighed. "Six series... I'm beginning to wonder if the programme has about run its course." Maybe what he needed was a new challenge. 

A fleeting expression of alarm crossed Remus' face at that, but then it passed, and he offered a reassuring smile. "I'm sure it won't be as primitive as all that," he said. "Parazuela is an industrialized country, so there's hope that even the remote villages have an effective plumbing system. I wouldn't count on phone service, though."

Severus nodded, realizing he was being difficult, but that Remus was meeting it with his normal aplomb. "You're probably right," he admitted. "You were copied on the email, so you'll have all the information for the arrangements. But later. Right now, I'm heading to the kitchen. What do you think of roast rack of lamb, duchess potatoes, baby asparagus and a loaf of ciabatta for dinner?" Cooking was a way Severus dealt with stress, but his version of comfort food was far more gourmet that most people would ever dream of. "Can you get a bottle of good red from the cellar?"

"Yes, sir," Remus replied with alacrity. "The menu sounds excellent. I'll start planning the trip and make sure you aren't disturbed while you're cooking. Think about whether there's anything special you want me to bring along. I'll have the battery powered coffee maker and some of your favorite ground coffee, of course, and a few sets of extra sheets. Oh, and your down travel pillow."

That coaxed a small, reluctant smile out of Severus. "Thanks," he murmured, then moved toward the door. He stopped for a moment, putting a hand on Remus' shoulder briefly. "I don't know what I'd do without you." Then, embarrassed by what he considered an overly effusive display, Severus dropped his hand and hurried out of the room. "One hour for dinner. Don't be late!" As if Remus Lupin would ever be late for anything.

* * *

Remus glanced sidelong at Severus as the mud-covered Jeep jounced along a glorified footpath leading to their destination; their driver had gotten off on the wrong foot with Severus when he dropped an expensive piece of cooking equipment necessary for the programme, but Remus had smoothed it over and made sure everything else was loaded safe and sound. All he wanted was to make sure that Severus was satisfied and as comfortable as possible during the filming. He didn't care so much about the programme itself; his loyalty was to Severus, not the programme or the network. His first priority was to make certain Severus' life ran smoothly, and he always worried a little when Severus made noises about the programme running its course. As little as Remus cared about the programme, he wasn't sure Severus would need him if the programme ended, and the last thing he wanted was to be separated from Severus.

After five years together, Remus had gone from nursing a small flame to carrying a blazing torch to being helplessly, hopelessly, head-over-heels in love with his boss. He loved Severus' brilliance, his passion, and his wit; he loved Severus' refusal to accept anything less than excellence from everything and everyone, including himself. He even loved Severus' snarky mouth and the way Severus didn't suffer fools gladly - or at all. Severus dared to be everything Remus wasn't, and Remus admired and adored him for it. Remus knew he wasn't brilliant, passionate, or talented, but he was patient and organized, and he was good at getting things done, and he was happy to put what few talents he did have to use on Severus' behalf. 

The sad truth was that he lived to take care of Severus, to indulge him, to make him happy, to do everything possible to make Severus' life better, no matter whether Severus recognized the extent of his devotion or not. He didn't dare make a declaration, not when Severus had never given any indication of seeing him as more than a right-hand man; the closest he ever came to telling Severus the truth was when he bade Severus good-night. Every time he said "As you wish, sir", he meant "I love you", just like Westley. But no matter what the future had in store, for now, they had this trip stretching out ahead of them, and Remus knew he would make himself invaluable to Severus every day until they returned to civilization.

"Holding up all right?" he asked.

Severus looked away from sheer drop off on his side of the Jeep, meeting Remus' eyes with a raised brow. "Oh, yes," he replied dryly. "I'm enjoying this so much that I think I'll ask them to send us across the Alps on elephants next."

Remus smiled, knowing Severus didn't mean a word. "I'm sure it can be arranged. If not, there's always backpacking in the Himalayas. You haven't tried that yet."

One corner of Severus' mouth twitched, although he gave Remus a stern look. "Don't you dare mention that to the producers! They'll no doubt find that yak's milk yogurt is some kind of regional delicacy that the average housewife on the East End simply _must_ know all about." They hit a particularly hard bump, and he winced. "Dammit, man, can you possibly hit any more potholes? My arse isn't sore enough yet, and I'm sure there is at least one piece of my equipment that isn't broken!"

The driver had minimal English, but Severus' tone of voice had gone from dry to positively scathing. The man shot a nasty look back over his shoulder, then muttered in his own language about stupid tourists who wanted to go places and then didn't like the only method of getting there.

Remus murmured something meant to be conciliatory to the driver; he knew Spanish, and he'd brushed up on some basics of the local dialect to help them get along while they were there. "The most delicate equipment is well-packed," he assured Severus. "Don't worry. It'll get there in one piece, and so will you. I've got some liniment packed if you need it when we get settled. It'll help with your sore muscles."

"Thanks," Severus replied, although Remus noticed his white-knuckled grip on the back of the seat in front of him. The path before them had the consistency of a washboard, jouncing them up and down violently. Then the jeep dropped low on Remus' side, throwing Severus almost into Remus' lap. "Sorry... not trying to squash you. I think this driver is trying to hit every stone and hole between here and the South Pole."

Remus instinctively threw his arms around Severus, trying to cushion him, and he sucked in a sharp breath at the delicious feel of Severus' long, lean body in his arms, his own body tightening in response. "It's all right," he said breathlessly, reluctant to let go. "I've got you."

Severus looked at him, something seeming to glitter in his dark eyes for a moment. "You do, don't you?" he asked. Then another bounce almost jolted both of them out of the Jeep, throwing Severus back toward his side of the vehicle so hard that his head smacked into the upright support with a muffled thud. He clutched at the back of his head with a violent curse, and then Remus saw a rare but not unknown sight. Severus snapped and snarked a lot, but he rarely lost his temper to the point of complete, almost incoherent fury. But there was no mistaking the way his jaw clenched or the way his dark eyes suddenly burned like coals.

"You bloody careless idiot!" he yelled at the driver, apparently having reached the end of his rope. "You did that on purpose! How stupid do you have to be to get your job?" From there, Severus began a tirade about the man's parentage, upbringing, and improbable sexual practices, embellished with a wide range of pejoratives, none of which were repeated and demonstrating a rather astonishing variety of world wide cultural references. By the time he got around to "Su madre", the driver had stopped the Jeep and was yelling back, shaking his fist at Severus and attempting to give back as good as he was getting.

Remus tried to get between the two and calm down the shouting match, but to no avail. Severus was furious, as was the driver, and they were both too far gone to listen or calm down. The next thing Remus knew, the driver had flung all their bags to the ground, and Remus leaped out of the Jeep to grab them. In the split second it took him to turn his back on the Jeep, he heard an outraged shout, a thud, and the Jeep engine being gunned; when he whirled around, he saw Severus on his arse in the mud and the Jeep's tail-lights disappearing in the distance.

He felt his jaw drop as he stared at the receding Jeep in disbelief, and then he snapped it shut. "Oh, bloody hell..."

Severus looked stunned, then he was back to furious, albeit coldly so. He pushed himself up to his feet, made an obscene gesture in the direction the Jeep had disappeared, then stalked over to Remus with his shoulders hunched and his brow lowered.

"When I catch up to that misbegotten excuse for a driver - and I _will_ catch up to him," he said, enunciating each word slowly and carefully between clenched teeth, "-I am going to disassemble his bloody damned death machine and feed each piece to him slowly and painfully. _Without salt_."

"Insult to injury indeed," Remus murmured, pushing his fingers through his hair as he looked around and assessed the situation. Anyone else might have been furious with Severus for angering the driver to the point of getting them abandoned in the middle of the jungle, but Remus thought the driver was more at fault for over-reacting to such an extent. Anyone with common sense knew better than to abandon people in the middle of nowhere, no matter how rude they were! There was a chance, he thought, that the driver might turn around and come back for them once he cooled off, but Remus didn't want to waste time and daylight betting on that chance, especially since there was no telling what kind of spectacular showdown might occur if the driver dared to show his face to Severus again. Instead, he sat down on a nearby log and began unfastening his laces so he could tuck the hem of his khaki trousers into the tops of his sturdy hiking boots. 

"I suggest you tuck in the hem of your trousers, too," he said, glancing up at Severus. "It'll keep bugs from crawling up your leg and biting you. It'll keep out leeches too, I imagine. Do you want some water? I've got a full canteen. You can sit and have a nice rest, and I'll sort through our things and make a couple of packs. Would you rather try to reach the village or go back the way we came?"

Severus stopped, looking at Remus with an odd expression, as though he didn't quite know whether to laugh or scream, or perhaps even do both. He settled for kicking at the mud and running a hand through his long hair as he visibly collected himself, no doubt filing away his frustration and indignation for later action. Severus was temperamental and highly strung, no doubt part and parcel of his creative ability and intense drive, but he was also no stranger to hardship or unexpected circumstances, even though he obviously didn't care for them one tiny bit.

"The village, but only because it should be closer," he said brusquely, moving to do as Remus suggested, taking a position next to Remus on the log and unlacing his own boots - black, as were his jeans and the long-sleeved shirt he wore - although his arse was currently coated in drying brown mud. They'd been to some out of the way places in the past, if never one quite this bad, and Severus had seemed to learn early on that Remus' advice about what to do in foreign countries was sound. He finished quickly, then bounced to his feet again, obviously too wound up to sit and rest, pulling his cell phone from his pocket before grimacing at it in disgust.

"As expected, no signal," he muttered, putting it away. He waved at the scattered luggage. "We can take our personal things, but I'll be damned if we're lugging the studio equipment up a blasted mountain. Once we reach the village, the camera crew can come back for it. Or not. I don't give a damn about the segment any longer, but I fully intend to retrieve some of those peppers." His lips twisted in an expression that no one in their right minds would classify as a smile. "I have plans involving them and our erstwhile producer, who is currently back in London, sipping tea and sitting in a dry, comfortable office."

"No, we definitely are not taking anything but what we most need," Remus affirmed. "I have a map and a compass, but it was going to take hours for us to get there by Jeep. It'll be at least a day or two on foot, assuming we stay on track and don't get lost along the way. We'll leave everything else right here, and they can send someone to get it later, if it's still here." 

Frankly, Remus didn't care if scavengers made off with the lot; all he cared about was making sure he and Severus emerged from the jungle in one piece. With any luck, the driver would come back, or the production crew would send a search party after them as soon as it became obvious they were missing, but he wasn't counting on the cavalry to arrive before morning. He wouldn't put it past the vindictive driver not to bother going to the village in order to cover his own arse, which meant it would be hours before anyone realized they weren't going to show up.

"We'll stick to the path, such as it is, for as long as we can, and we'll stop when it gets dark and light a fire. There are nocturnal predators that I'd rather not encounter up close and personal. Also, be sure to watch where you step, especially if the path gives out," he warned. "This area is home to a highly toxic breed of snake, and I didn't pack anti-venom in my first aid kit."

Severus paused in the act of rooting through one of his bags, looking at Remus with a rare flash of genuine amusement in his eyes. "Where's your fedora? I didn't realize that I'd gotten stranded with Indiana Jones!"

"No fedora, I'm afraid," Remus replied, his smile widening to a rare grin in pleasure at having amused Severus in some way, especially under such dire circumstances. "No whip, either. I just believe in being prepared. Besides, my father took me camping quite a lot when I was a boy, so I have some experience with roughing it."

"Then we might owe your father a debt," Severus said, his amusement fading as he looked at their surroundings, lips thinning into a grim line. "This is definitely rougher than any place we've been before, and my only experience with life outside of the city has been our various trips." He looked back into his bag, then unzipped it completely, spreading it open carefully to avoid the mud. "All right, then, what do you suggest we take? I get the feeling no matter what, after two days of hauling it up a mountain, it's going to feel like too much."

"No doubt." Remus squatted by the open bag and surveyed the contents thoughtfully. "Just don't try to be macho, all right?" he added, glancing at Severus. "I don't want you trying to carry more than you can handle. I've got good upper body strength, so I can take a few extras. As for what we ought to take... all the water we can carry plus the filter, torches, batteries, sleeping bags. Food, of course, but if we can avoid carrying tins, that would help. I think we've got some dried meat and fruit."

"Good thing we packed with the assumption we'd be having to sleep outdoors," Severus replied. He cocked his head to one side, his eyes looking over Remus' upper body as though trying to determine if Remus was having him on about the strength comment, but he kept whatever he was thinking to himself, returning his attention to the items in his suitcase. He rummaged around, then pulled out a kit bag with a look of triumph. "Ha, I did pack it, so I'm not a total liability. I remembered from when we did that segment on Creole cooking in New Orleans in the middle of July. Bug repellent, sunscreen, and some of those supplement pills against dehydration." 

"Good, we'll definitely need that," Remus said, giving him a nod of approval. "I'll pack my first aid kit, too. I'd suggest bringing some extra clothes in case we get wet and need to change into something dry. Rain gear, too. You never know when a rain shower might come along. Oh, and rope! We shouldn't go anywhere without rope."

"Rope?" Severus shook his head in disbelief. "You packed rope? _Really_?"

"My father taught me that I should always be prepared in case of emergency, especially while camping," Remus replied, pushing his glasses up his nose as he looked at Severus. "This isn't a camping trip, but the same principle applies. No doubt if I hadn't brought it, something would happen, and we'd need it."

"No doubt," Severus replied.

They set to work packing up the things Remus felt absolutely essential, loading the backpacks and then moving what they couldn't take off to one side, out of obvious sight. Severus settled the unaccustomed weight on his shoulders, shifting it around until he seemed to find a comfortable position. "All right," he said, nodding to Remus that he was ready. "Lay on, Macduff," he said, a trace of ironic amusement in his tone. "And damned be him that first cries, 'Hold, enough!'"

Remus gave him a level look. "Like I said, don't be macho. If your pack gets too heavy or you need a break, tell me. I'm more accustomed to this than you are." He shifted from stern to impishly teasing as he added, "I promise I won't cast aspersions on your masculinity or think any less of you. You can run circles 'round me in the kitchen, after all."

"Oh, yes, such a argument for my masculinity," Severus replied, with his typical dry humor, but then he nodded. "You're definitely more experienced than I am, so I won't argue that you know best." He paused for a moment. "I trust you." He said the words quietly, then cleared his throat and turned in the direction where the Jeep had gone. "Let's get on with it, then."

"Yes, let's," Remus said softly as he set off down the path, although he couldn't help but smile at Severus' words, and he hoped he didn't look as besotted as he felt over that simple affirmation of trust. From anyone else, it might not have meant nearly so much, but from Severus, it meant the world, at least to Remus, and he felt as if he could float up the mountain without ever touching ground.

* * *

Severus didn't remember when he'd been so hot in his life.

He and Remus had been to tropical locales before, of course, including the trip to Louisiana the previous year which had yielded the few things he'd brought that hadn't been on Remus' prompting. He'd certainly been in places where the air temperature had been higher, or the humidity more stifling, but always in those instances, there had been air-conditioned bliss only a short way away; he hadn't been walking uphill, carrying a pack and not knowing how far it might be to any human habitation at all, much less something that would have electricity. As a result, he felt as though he were slowly melting inside his clothing.

While he didn't complain out loud, he passed part of the time imagining the horrors he was going to visit on their driver and on the network executives when they got out of this. And trying not to think too much about Remus.

Somehow, when they'd been in the Jeep and he'd been thrown against Remus, he'd suddenly been aware of Remus on a physical level, something that hadn't happened before. They'd touched before - it was hard to work and travel in close proximity to someone and not have casual touching - but this had been... different. He'd practically been sitting on top of Remus, and Remus' arms had been around him, holding Severus with surprising strength, his body hard and firm. They'd been almost nose to nose as well, so close that Severus could see the individual flecks of green and brown in Remus' eyes, the length of his eyelashes, and the light sprinkling of freckles that dotted his nose. Time had seemed to stand still for him, and when Remus had made his comment about having him, Severus had responded in agreement, but agreement to far more than their immediate circumstances.

It had been a shock to him, but he'd not wanted to move, and so the fury he'd felt when the idiotic driver had hit a hole and bounced them apart again had been in part due to frustration with the interruption of the moment. He'd not had time to even figure out what was going on before it was over, and so he'd taken out his frustration on the driver, and that had led to their current predicament. Perhaps it had been for the best; not getting stuck like this, certainly, which still made him mad enough to spit, but that the moment _had_ been broken. Remus was his assistant, his right hand man, and the only person outside of Regulus Black whom Severus trusted implicitly, without question. But he didn't even know if Remus was gay, and even if he were, Severus wasn't certain that giving in to his suddenly awake libido and possibly ruining their working relationship was such a good idea.

Which left him in a rather uncomfortable position, having been brought into sudden awareness of Remus on a physical level, but feeling unable to do anything about it.

Severus' libido wasn't exactly something he'd had to deal with much, especially not in the last ten years. Not from lack of opportunity, given that he was successful and at least slightly famous; despite his big nose and snarky temperament he'd had offers from both sexes, but no interest in casual sex. He simply didn't trust anyone that much, didn't want to let down his guard and have to wonder if someone was with him because they wanted to be or because of who he was. 

None of it was something Severus wanted to think too much about, yet he couldn't seem to help it, not when Remus made comments about his upper body strength that made Severus' mouth go dry as he wondered just what Remus looked like without his shirt. In five years, he'd never seen Remus anything but fully clothed, but now he was finding himself imaging things he had absolutely no business imagining.

The direction of his thoughts wasn't doing anything to cool him down, and with a groan, Severus stopped in the middle of the rough trail. "I think I need to stop for a few minutes," he said, giving a sigh of resignation. 

Remus was quick to nod and stop as well, and he lowered his backpack and quickly reached out to help Severus lower his own. "Would you like some water, too? Here - sit down on that log and stretch your legs out. We can rest as long as you need."

Remus didn't look as knackered as Severus felt - damn him - but he had broken a sweat, his pale skin flushed from exertion and heat, and his wavy hair was clinging to his neck. He wasn't wearing his usual tweed, but rather light khaki trousers that clung to his narrow hips and a white cotton shirt that wasn't _quite_ translucent enough to satisfy Severus' curiosity. Remus absently unfastened the top few buttons of his shirt and flapped the lapels, as if trying to get some air circulating around his skin before digging a canteen out of his backpack and offering it to Severus.

"Thanks." Severus took the canteen, opening it and taking a long drink, relishing the fact that the water was at least cooler than the air. He knew he probably looked like a drowned rat - a skinny drowned rat at that - while Remus just looked... healthy. Very healthy. So much so that Severus had to look away before Remus began to wonder why Severus was staring at him as though he were a particularly tasty new ingredient.

Severus replaced the cap on the canteen and passed it back, before removing an already sodden handkerchief from his pocket and mopping his face. His own long hair was sticking to his skin in a very unpleasant fashion, and he grimaced as he pulled it off his neck, running his fingers through it. His hair was so dark and straight, it often looked greasy even when it was freshly washed, and he had no doubts it probably looked horrific soaked with sweat. It was a good reminder to himself, however, that it didn't matter if he had noticed Remus, or even if Remus was gay; there was no way anyone in their right mind would find him attractive, and most especially not in these circumstances.

The handkerchief was useless for drying his face, and so Severus twisted it along the bias and used it to tie his hair back, hoping that it would perhaps keep it out of the way and help cool him off a bit. "I don't think I'll ever be able to boil a lobster again," he muttered. "Or even steam a shrimp."

"Of course you will, sir. As soon as you get back to air-conditioning and ice machines, you'll be back to boiling innocent crustaceans in no time." Remus fished a handkerchief out of his pocket and wet it with water from his own canteen, and he moved to stand in front of Severus. Hooking his fingers beneath Severus' chin, he bathed Severus' face thoroughly with the cool, wet cloth and smoothed it over Severus' hair, gazing down at Severus with what appeared to be genuine concern for his well-being. "Your nose is turning pink. You should put on some more sun screen," he said, bending briefly to retrieve the bottle. "Would you like me to apply it? It might be easier than doing it yourself, since we don't have a mirror."

Severus was surprised when Remus began to wipe his face, and even a bit uncomfortable, but any protest he would have uttered died on his lips when he felt the blessed coolness against his skin. He sighed and closed his eyes briefly, enjoying the momentary respite from the heat.

Remus' suggestion about the sunscreen was a little more difficult, now that he'd suddenly noticed Remus in a way he hadn't before. To have Remus touching his face, stroking lotion onto his skin, was a thought that was more erotic than he might have previously thought. But... really, was it any different than what Remus had done for him in times past? No doubt in Remus' mind, this was nothing more intimate than bringing him his tea or arranging his travel schedule - just one more service from his incredibly able assistant, who always did his best to make sure Severus was comfortable.

"All right," he said, finally, deciding that if he suddenly began refusing Remus' help it might cause Remus to wonder about _why_. "Thank you." He clamped down firmly on his wayward imagination, trying his best not to let any of his inner turmoil show.

Remus' fingers were sure but gentle as he smoothed on the cool salve, perhaps even a little playful as he stroked his forefinger down the length of Severus' nose. Certainly, he seemed in no hurry to finish the task and step away. If Severus didn't know better, he might even say Remus was _lingering_ , perhaps enjoying the job more than was strictly professional, but surely that was a product of his sun-fevered imagination and wayward libido.

"There." Remus tucked a stray tendril of Severus' hair back behind his ear and smiled at him. "All finished, sir."

But if Severus was infusing more into Remus' touch than he ought to, he _knew_ he couldn't be imagining the husky warmth Remus infused into that single word - "sir" - and somehow drained away the distant formality inherent in that form of address and made it sound far more... intimate. How had he never noticed that before? Somehow this jaunt to Parazuela had turned into something more akin to falling down the rabbit hole, and it left him feeling off balance, a position Severus didn't enjoy in the least. No doubt all this was simply in his head; perhaps he was coming down with some nefarious, sudden tropical fever that was addling his brain.

"Thanks," he murmured again, glancing at Remus from beneath his lashes. "I suppose we should get going again." The sooner they reached civilization, the sooner he'd feel back on an even keel, he was certain. Or at least he hoped.

"Only if you're up for it," Remus replied as he stepped away from Severus at last and set about packing up the sunscreen and canteens. "We can rest a little longer if you need to. There's no need to push yourself too hard."

"You need to sit and rest, too," Severus said, suddenly realizing that all that Remus had done since they'd halted was take care of him. It made him feel as though he'd somehow been taking advantage of Remus, and he didn't like that feeling one bit. "Come on, I'll feel less guilty if you do it, too."

"All right," Remus replied, appearing amused, but he didn't hesitate to sit down on the log beside Severus and drop his backpack between his feet, and then he stretched out his legs in front of him. "Ahh... that does feel good," he said with a gusty sigh.

Once Remus was comfortable, Severus was finally able to relax as well. He sighed and shook his head. "This is definitely not how I'd imagined this trip," he said, feeling a resurgence of irritation with the thrice-damned driver. "I'm used to being on my feet for hours at a time, but not like this. I can see that I need to start working out if I'm going to do any more specials on 'exotic' locations."

"I hope this is the only time we ever get abandoned in the middle of the jungle," Remus said dryly, "but I understand what you mean. I work out a few times a week. It helps me keep my stamina up as I get older."

That was a surprise to Severus, and he turned to give Remus a frankly assessing look, the comment about stamina giving him images he really shouldn't be having, and which he distracted himself from by thinking about their relationship as it stood. He didn't claim to know everything about Remus, despite their five years together... He stopped, thinking about how very little he _did_ know about the person who was probably closest to him, day after day. And he realized it really was bloody little.

There were things you just couldn't help picking up, of course. Remus was close to his own age, that was easy to tell, and he knew Remus' birthday because Severus was quite adamant that his assistant shouldn't have to work on his birthday. He was in good health, too, because Severus couldn't even recall offhand any sick days that Remus had ever taken. And of course he favored earth tones, was solid, dependable, and able to take Severus' moods with an aplomb that not even Regulus could manage. Other than that, however, all that Severus had were his own impressions: Remus was probably the most grounded person Severus could ever remember meeting. Nothing seemed to ruffle him, and his very air of quiet solidity was something Severus had taken for granted in the midst of his own often chaotic life.

It was a disturbing realization, almost as disturbing as the way he'd become all-at-once so aware of Remus on a physical level. It was almost as though he'd been wearing blinders where Remus was concerned, looking at him but not seeing him until the Jeep had thrown them into contact and opened Severus' eyes at last.

"Really?" he said, realizing he'd been silent for too long. "I didn't know that. Do... um.. you enjoy it?"

Remus glanced at him, appearing surprised by the question, but then Remus smiled and shrugged. "I don't know if 'enjoy' is the word I'd use," he replied with a wry little chuckle. "I do it because it's good for me, but it's a right pain in the arse trying to make time for an activity that leaves you sweating and sore - and not in the _good_ way."

 _And what, exactly, do you consider the good way?_ Severus had to bite down on the question that fairly demanded to be asked, knowing it would shock Remus, no matter how much he was now wildly curious to about Remus' preferences on that score. For all he knew, Remus was married with a passel of sturdy children tucked away somewhere, but he didn't _think_ so, not with the schedule Remus kept. He seemed ever available for Severus' needs, and Severus couldn't imagine a wife or even a steady significant other putting up with it for very long, much less for five years.

"If it would help, I could install a gym at the house," he found himself saying instead. It was probably not a good idea, since that brought images to mind of a half-dressed, sweaty Remus, but it was too late to back down now. "Er... it would remove one of my excuses for not doing it, if you were interested in us setting aside time regularly."

The answering smile Remus gave him was as warm as any sunlight. "I'd like that," Remus said promptly. "We can spot each other, and it'll remove my excuses for not making time to go to the gym, too. You won't need a lot of fancy equipment. Some free weights and maybe a bench-press. Think about what you'd like to focus on, and I'll do some research and put together some options for you when we get home."

"All right," Severus replied faintly, wondering what he might have gotten himself into. He might have just set himself up for a series of long, cold showers, if what Remus had under his clothes looked as good as it had so fleetingly felt.

Ironically, though, he also had a small attack of conscience at basically co-opting yet more of Remus' time. "One thing," he said, rather more pensively than he would have liked. "I hope you don't feel as though you have to do anything I suggest outside of work duties. You've been absolutely flawless, and I don't want you to feel as though a refusal would cause me to become unhappy with you. I realize you do have a life outside of work, and I'd not want to cause any difficulties for you by taking even more of your time. With a significant other, for instance."

"Oh, don't worry about that!" Remus waved dismissively. "I don't have a life, really." He paused and chuckled self-deprecatingly. "That makes it sound awful, doesn't it? I don't mean to imply that you're a demanding boss who doesn't give me any time to myself. The truth is, I love working for you, and I'm happy focusing on doing my job and doing it well. I don't have a significant other, and I'm fine with that." He gazed at Severus steadily, his expression open. "I'm all yours," he said simply.

There simply wasn't any way that Remus could mean the words in the way Severus' mind was insisting on taking them, and his mouth went dry as he tried to find some kind of answer for that. "I appreciate that," he said finally, and he found he really meant it. Remus was loyal to him, he knew, and perhaps even devoted, given that he'd voluntarily taken on various care-taking duties without even being asked. But Severus wasn't certain if it was because of _him_ , personally, or if Remus, who seemed to be a naturally nurturing person, had simply thrown himself wholeheartedly into his job, and would have done so no matter whom he worked for. He lowered both his voice and his gaze. "I realize I'm very lucky to have you."

Remus was silent for a moment, and then Severus felt a light, almost hesitant touch on his shoulder. "Thank you, sir," Remus said, his voice soft and husky. "It means a lot to hear you say that. You're special, and I consider myself lucky, too. I'm glad to have the chance to help you in any way I can, big or small."

Special. Remus had actually said he was special. For some reason, that caught Severus by surprise, making him feel warm in a way that was far more pleasant than the heat. Of course, people had been telling him he was special ever since House of Black, praising his abilities and seeking his favor, but he was certain Remus didn't mean it in the sense of his talents in the kitchen. He turned to face Remus again, and he knew that Remus was one of the few people who saw Severus the man, rather than Severus Snape, chef and food critic. And that meant more to Severus than any Michelin rating or culinary award.

"Thanks," he said, his own voice rougher than normal. He had to get a grip on himself before he revealed even more, revealed things that he didn't want Remus to see. Clearing his throat, he drew in a deep breath. "I suppose we should be on our way; I'm feeling much better. Are you ready?"

"When you are," Remus replied. He gave Severus' shoulder a brief squeeze before removing his hand, and then he snagged his pack and rose to his feet. "If you need another break later, don't hesitate to let me know, all right? We'll get there, and I'd rather be sure you aren't prostrate from exhaustion, sun stroke, or dehydration when we do."

"Right," Severus replied, rising to his feet as well and shouldering his backpack. He managed a wry smile. "I'm hardly one to suffer in silence, now am I? I'll definitely let you know if I need to stop. I have no intention of killing myself to get there a few hours earlier!" As he adjusted his pack, it began to rain, and he groaned, shaking his fist at the sky. "That wasn't a challenge to make me start suffering more!"

"I've got some rain gear in my pack," Remus said. "Not much, just an inexpensive slicker, but it might help keep your clothes from getting soaked. Would you like to wear it?"

Severus sighed and shook his head. "It's not too bad," he replied. "If I'm not soaked with rain, I'll be soaked with sweat, so there's really not much of a difference, right?" He started walking, head down, putting one foot in front of the other with grim determination. All he wanted to do now was reach their goal; he just hoped that nothing happened to make it take any longer than it had to take.


	2. Chapter 2

Remus was an optimistic man by nature, but even his hopes began to flag as the rain showers turned into torrents that showed no signs of letting up; the rain fell harder, turning the path to thick mud, which slowed them down even more. It was uncomfortable and difficult, to be sure, but he didn't begin to actually worry until he heard strange sounds over the steady patter of rain. Sounds that grew louder and seemed to get closer. The ominous rumbling accompanied by the sound of rushing water made Remus look up in alarm, just in time to see they were in the path of a flash flood. Without thinking, he pushed Severus aside, trying to get him out of the way of the on-coming flood before it could reach them and sweep Severus away to God only knew where and possibly drown him in the process.

Severus had looked up at the rumbling as well, but at the sky, apparently thinking it was thunder; therefore he was caught by surprise when Remus tried to thrust him out of the way. The path was slippery from the rain, and he heard Severus gasp as he lost his footing on the treacherous ground. As Severus started to fall, he grabbed at Remus by instinct, one hand managing to catch the back of Remus' pack.

They both hit the slick mud, the steepness of the path causing them to begin to slide quickly back down the hill. They were also close to an edge where the hill dropped off more steeply into thick foliage, and he heard Severus shout an obscenity as they picked up speed and headed straight for the precipitous drop. There was little they could do to stop, and with nothing to grab for support, they went over the edge, hands and faces slapped by thick leaves as they fell, bodies fortunately cushioned from any rocks by the wet foliage.

Then it was over. 

"Dammit!" Severus said from somewhere off to his left, his voice sounding pained. But at least that meant he was still alive and conscious.

Remus lay still for a moment, too disoriented to move, but after a quick, silent assessment to make sure he hadn't broken anything, he hauled himself upright with a groan. His head was spinning, but the more he recovered from the fall, the more worried about Severus he became, and he wasted no time in crawling over and peering down at Severus with concern.

"Are you all right?" he asked breathlessly, running his hands over Severus' body in a swift search for broken bones. If he hadn't been so preoccupied, he might have slowed down a little, but as it was, he was too worried to savor the opportunity to touch Severus. "Are you in severe pain anywhere? Did you hit your head?"

Severus shook his head, then winced. "I'm all right, just a little dizzy," he said. Then he peered at Remus closely. "What about you? I'm sorry I grabbed at you. We probably wouldn't have fallen if I hadn't."

"I'm fine," Remus replied, awash in relief - so relieved, in fact, that he had reached out to smooth Severus' hair back from his face before he could think better of it. "A little battered, but not broken. I don't mind that you grabbed me. If you'd fallen alone..." He shook his head, not wanting to entertain the thought of Severus lost and alone in the jungle.

Severus looked alarmed at the thought as well, and he shuddered slightly before rolling on his side and sitting up. He looked around, frowning at the thick vegetation around them. The way back up to the path was too steep to climb, and with the flood waters - which were thankfully rushing off to the other side of ridge from where they'd fallen - there was no guarantee it would be passable anyway. They appeared to be in a small vale between the hill they'd been climbing and the one just to the west, the hill on that side just as steep as the one behind them. The only good thing in Remus' estimation was that the rain was letting up at last.

"We seem to be stuck down here," Severus said, his brow furrowed in concern. "Do you think there's a way out?"

"We won't know unless we take a look around," Remus said, falling back into his usual practical mode now that the rush of fear was ebbing. "Let's scout the area and see if we can find a way out. If not..." He smiled wryly. "I did bring rope."

"So you did," Severus replied, giving a small snort of amusement. He got to his feet, looking down at his mud covered clothes, then eying Remus'. "Hopefully we'll find a small stream or something to wash off in, too. We look as though we've been battered, ready for the deep fryer."

Remus looked down at his filthy body and chuckled self-deprecatingly. "I can't remember being this dirty ever before in my life," he said, securing his pack once more. "It isn't a pleasant feeling. I hope we find more than a small stream and perhaps a nice place to sit down and dry off."

"That would be wonderful," Severus said fervently. He checked his own pack, then brushed the mud-caked, matted strands of his hair back from his face. "Which way? Following the road was easy enough, but now I have no clue about which way we need to go."

"Nor do I at the moment," Remus admitted. "I've still got the map and compass, but I think it might be best if we simply go where it seems there might be a way out for now. I can try to get us back on course once we're out of this vale."

"All right," Severus nodded in agreement. He pointed in the direction that rose, which seemed to parallel the way they'd been traveling before. "How about that way? Maybe it rises up closer to the level of the path? I don't remember this side being any less steep back the way that we came."

"Looks like as good a place as any to start as far as I'm concerned," Remus replied, trying to sound more cheerful and optimistic than he felt for Severus' sake. The last thing he wanted to do was cause Severus undue worry; they were in a bit of a jam, but they'd find a way out of it, and in the meantime, he wanted to make certain Severus' spirits didn't flag too much. "Let's try it, and if it doesn't work out, we'll turn around and try another direction."

"I suppose that's all we can do." Severus drew in a breath, then turned and started to walk uphill again. "This would be a very good time for Regulus to do something useful with one of those damned helicopters he likes to travel in and come and find us. Not that he knows where we are, or that we've been stranded. But he's spent enough money on them!"

"A little boy in an adult body, wasting money on grown-up toys," Remus muttered, not bothering to hide his disapproval of Regulus Black. He had never warmed to Regulus, and while he told himself it was because the handsome, rich, and charming man did nothing truly productive except recognize and make use of talent when he saw it, deep down, Remus suspected his borderline antipathy was rooted in jealousy. Regulus Black was Severus' oldest friend, the only person Remus knew of whom Severus liked, trusted, and made time for outside of work, and sometimes, Remus got the impression that Regulus wouldn't mind moving from being Severus' friend to being Severus' lover.

The only thing that kept him from being utterly depressed every time he thought about Regulus and Severus being together was the fact that Severus seemed oblivious and disinterested, but Remus lived in secret dread of the day when Severus woke up, realized he wanted someone to share his life with, and chose Regulus as that someone rather than his plain, boring, and not at all handsome, rich or charming personal assistant.

Severus gave him a sidelong glance, his lips quirking slightly. Severus was aware of Remus' dislike for Regulus, although of course he had no clue of the real reason behind it. "Yes, that's pretty much Regulus in a nutshell," he said. "He's certainly never had to do anything so plebeian as work for a living. I suppose he has to keep himself busy on some..." Abruptly Severus stopped and looked ahead of them, frowning slightly. "Do you hear water?"

Remus paused and listened intently; the sound was faint, but discernible, and he nodded fervently. "I do!" Overcome with excitement, he grabbed Severus' arm and tugged, urging him to hurry toward the source of the faint roaring sound. "It sounds to me as if we've found ourselves a waterfall!"

"Hopefully that's a good thing," Severus said, but he quickened his steps to keep up with Remus. 

They moved as quickly as they could through the dense underbrush and slapping leaves of the trees, the sound of water growing steadily louder, and after several minutes they reached a clearing. There was a dead fall of rocks which had tumbled down from the westward ridge some ten meters above their present level, and through the gap in the stones tumbled a stream of frothy white water, which settled into a large pool which spread out before them, its stony banks keeping back the overgrowth of the jungle.

With a sigh of relief, Remus entered the clearing and lowered his backpack to a nearby rock. "If you don't have any objections, I suggest stopping here for the night. We can bathe and dry our clothes on the rocks. I've got some waterproof matches and a small pan, so I can start a fire and boil some fresh drinking water. In the morning, I'll check the map, although I think our best bet will be to follow the water up. It's highly likely we'll find the village we're looking for near the water source."

"That makes sense," Severus replied, dropping his backpack beside Remus' with a thump. He looked at the pool of water with anticipation, then frowned. "You don't think there is anything in there that will attack us, do you?" he asked. "After what we've been through, I'd hate for one of us to get eaten by killer fish or a crocodile or something."

Remus chuckled and shook his head. "No, you won't find piranha here, only in rivers, and the pool looks a little small to house any crocodiles. Still, if you see a log looking at you, back away quickly," he teased. "Go ahead, you get cleaned up first, and I'll look for some wood for our fire."

With any luck, Severus would be out of the water by the time he returned, because he wasn't sure how well his will power or libido could hold up at the sight of a wet, mostly naked Severus.

Severus looked for a moment like he was going to argue, but then he looked toward the pool and nodded, apparently unable to resist the lure of being clean. "All right," he said, but then gave Remus a stern look. "But I'll cook our meal and do the washing up afterward while you rest. It's only fair."

Remus flashed a grin at Severus over his shoulder as he rummaged in his pack for his Swiss army knife and a couple of other items he thought might be useful. A machete would have been better, of course, but he hadn't foreseen this outcome, or he would have packed one of those, too. "It's more than fair," he said. "It's a mercy. My ability to cook begins with taking something frozen out of the freezer and ends with punching buttons on the microwave."

That made Severus smirk slightly. "I'm glad to know there's still one thing that I can do that you can't," he said, bending down to hunt through his own pack. He pulled out a change of clothing and a towel, then straightened. "Call out if you need me." With that, he turned and headed toward the pool.

Remus turned and walked away quickly, not wanting to give in to the wicked temptation to watch Severus strip. That would be unprofessional, and he doubted Severus was interested in being ogled by his boring little assistant anyway. Instead, he focused on the task at hand, gathering up as much suitable wood as possible to take back to their makeshift camp site and picking some mangoes and plantains he was fortunate enough to find. He thought he'd occupied himself with gathering wood and fruit long enough for Severus to finish bathing, but when he returned to camp and looked around for Severus, he was momentarily frozen at the sight before his eyes.

Severus, rising up from the water like some dark and dangerous god, rivulets of water streaming down his pale skin, which gleamed in the fading sunlight. Remus' mouth went dry, and he almost dropped his armload of branches and fruit, and he was unable to look away as Severus moved to stand beneath the waterfall, his back arching as he slicked his wet hair back from his face. Finally, Remus forced himself to move and to stop staring like a schoolboy with his first crush.

"I'm back!" he called out as he scouted out a good place to set up their fire pit.

"Almost done!" Severus called back. There was some splashing, then a few minutes later Severus emerged from behind a stack of rocks dressed in clean clothes. He'd obviously taken time to clean off his mud-caked boots as well, and his wet hair was secured back from his face with a hair band. He looked at the fire pit, then at the pile of fruit and nodded in approval. "That's looking good. I'll be able to put us together something hot and filling."

At the mention of 'hot and filling', Remus fumbled his match and tried not to think of the non-culinary implications of the remark. "I have some dried meat in my pack, too," he said as he crouched down and nursed a feeble flame to life. Within a few minutes, he had a cozy fire going, and he dug around in his pack for the small pan he'd brought. "Here, you can use this to cook with, if you like, although I stripped a few twigs to use as kabob skewers, if you prefer," he said, indicated a small pile on a nearby rock. "I'll boil some more drinking water after dinner, so don't hesitate to use what's in the canteens if you need it."

"Perfect, thanks," Severus said, taking the pot and making a shooing motion toward the pool. "Go on, it's getting dark, and you'll want to be able to see while you're washing. By the time you're all done the food should be ready."

Remus nodded, and after retrieving a change of clothes for himself, he hurried over to the pool. Once there, he was struck with a modesty that was quite unlike him; he didn't flaunt his body, but he knew he was in good shape and looked fit and trim, even if his features were mediocre, but knowing that Severus might glance over and see him made him feel inexplicably shy about stripping down to his birthday suit. It was _Severus_ , after all, who was brilliant and talented and sexy to boot, and he didn't want Severus to see him and be unimpressed, bored, or worse, repelled. He struck a compromise with himself by keeping his underpants on, and he was quick and utilitarian in his bathing, not taking the time to swim or savor the water as Severus had done. His hair was still wet, and he was still a little damp when he returned to the fire, but he was clean and so were his clothes, and he felt much better for it. The sun was sinking low on the horizon, and the encroaching night was turning the air cool; Remus dragged a log closer to the fire and huddled near the flames, letting them warm and dry him.

"How is dinner coming along?" he asked, tossing another branch on the fire to keep it going steady and strong.

Severus' cheeks were pink, but no doubt it was the result of his position, bent over the fire as he stirred the pot. The scent wafting toward Remus was exotic and spicy, and Severus dipped up some of whatever it was on the cooking spoon, blew on it carefully, then held it up to Remus' lips. "Tell me what you think," he said.

Remus glanced at Severus, wide-eyed for a moment, until he forcibly reminded himself that Severus was merely asking him to taste a dish, nothing more. No doubt the intimacy of the gesture hadn't even occurred to Severus, and Remus scolded himself for letting it occur to him. Just because he'd gotten a peek at Severus didn't mean he had an excuse to behave like an idiot.

He leaned forward and tasted the stuff gingerly, uncertain what to expect. To his uncultured palate, it seemed Severus had made a spicy salsa of the fruit, although Remus got a chewy bit of beef jerky in his bite as well. It was surprisingly good, and Remus sat back and gave Severus an admiring look.

"It's very good," he said. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you packed spices even though I advised you only to take essential items," he added, teasing lightly.

"Spices _are_ essential," Severus said firmly, although Remus saw his lips twitch. "And I'm glad you like it, because it's the only thing going, unfortunately. I'll be able to do better tomorrow." He lifted the pot from the fire, and offered it and the spoon to Remus. "You first. You did all the collecting and had the dried beef, so you get first meal."

Remus' stomach took that opportunity to growl loudly, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since that morning, and he accepted the spoon and pot with a sheepish but grateful smile. "Thank you," he replied as he began to eat. "Perhaps tomorrow, I can do some spear fishing in the river once we get out of this vale. Then you'll really be able to show off your outdoor cooking skills."

Severus was silent for a moment, as though he were digesting that, and then he nodded. "Fresh fish would be much easier to render into something palatable," he said, siting back against a log and watching Remus eat. "Spear fishing, eh? I'd ask if there was anything you can't do, but I already know you can't cook. I'm thinking that might be the only thing, though. Or at least it's the only thing I've come across in the last five years."

"Nonsense." Remus felt his face growing hot, but he couldn't keep from smiling with pleasure at the compliment. "There are lots of things I can't do besides cook. I'm very good at organization and getting things done, and I happen to have experience in the great outdoors. Other than that, I'm mind-numbingly average. I'm certainly not brilliant and talented like you," he added, gazing at Severus in a way that he hoped seemed earnest rather than hero-worshippy.

Severus snorted and waved a dismissive hand. "I can cook, but I'd be lost at the things that you do. Spear fishing? Making all those arrangements? Seriously, I think you're the brilliant one." He gave a sort of grumbling sigh. "Besides, you get along with people, and that's a knack I just don't have. I don't even want to have it; there are only a handful of people I can stand to be around for more than a few hours. I'd never have been able to handle this show without you taking care of that part for me."

"Anyone can be a nice person who gets along with others. Not everyone has an innate talent for something that makes them the best at what they do." Remus took a last bite and handed the pot and spoon over to Severus with a satisfied sigh. "You managed to turn scavenged fruit and beef jerky into gourmet cuisine! That's the real brilliance. What I do behind the scenes is just organizing things and being polite in order to help smooth the way to get what I need, that's all."

"Well, I couldn't do it," Severus said, accepting the pot and spoon and stirring mixture before taking a bit of his own. "In fact, I've lived in more than a little bit of fear that some woman is going to realize what a treasure you are and lure you away from me. And _that_ really would be the end of the programme!"

"Oh, that won't happen!" Remus blurted out before he could think about the wisdom of outing himself to his boss. His face grew hotter as he poked at the fire with a stick in order to avoid making eye contact with Severus as he continued his confession, deciding he couldn't try to deny what he meant now that the truth was out. "What I mean is, no one could ever lure me away from you. I enjoy working for you too much, and a woman could never lure me away. I... Well, the truth is, I'm gay."

Severus stopped eating, and he stared hard at Remus for a moment, an odd look on his face. "Really?" he asked faintly, then seemed to catch himself. "Sorry, I didn't mean that to sound as though I don't approve. I was just... surprised. You seem like the type to have a wife and a plethora of children someday, I suppose. Which just goes to show why I'm so bad at dealing with people." He made a face, then sighed. "The truth is, I'm gay, too. Which is probably no surprise to much of anyone, although I don't seem to be much better at handling relationships with men than I would be with women. As you can tell."

"Really?" Remus sounded breathless even to his own ears, and he tried not to let his heart go on a flight of fancy, thinking he suddenly had a chance to be with the man he loved. "I don't think you're bad at dealing with people. I think you have high standards for yourself and you expect other people to have high standards, too, but not all of them do, which is frustrating for you and makes you snarky. I don't think there's anything wrong with having standards, but I don't like to see you disappointed, which is why I try so hard to make sure everything runs exactly as you want it to." He smiled wryly and gestured around them. "Abandonment and flash floods aside, of course."

"I'll forgive you those, since there are mitigating circumstances," Severus replied magnanimously, Remus' words seeming to relax him. "But seriously, you are one of the few people whom it doesn't make me uncomfortable or irritated to be with for hours at a time. Either you have the patience of a saint, or a wide masochistic streak." He gave Remus a glance that was almost playful. "Care to confess which it is?"

Remus smiled and shook his head. "Neither," he replied. "I just know what you need, that's all. As long as I do my job well, you won't have any need to be cranky with me, and I don't mind if you're cranky _at_ me. It's not personal, and I know it."

"True," Severus admitted, taking another bite from the pot and chewing thoughtfully. He swallowed, then looked at Remus again. "I want you to know that if I'm ever out of line, you have permission to tell me so. I mean it - I probably need to be told so on occasion, and while I wouldn't take it well from almost anyone, I could take it from you."

That made warmth bloom within Remus, and he knew he would hoard those words away as special treasures, proof that Severus valued him beyond just his skills with spreadsheets and damage control.

"I will," he said, smiling at Severus. "Thank you. That means a lot to me."

It was too dark to be sure, but it seemed as though Severus flushed at that. "You're welcome," he said, then put the pot aside and reached down toward the fire. "Ah, yes. Dessert, or what passes for it tonight. Roasted plantains a la Snape, with cinnamon sugar." He picked up a skewer that held chunks of the fruit, brown from the heat and the caramelized sugar coating them. "Bon appetite!"

"Brilliant!" Remus grinned, delighted by yet more proof of Severus' creativity and ingenuity with ingredients. "You're the McGuyver of the culinary world."

"Just so long as you're the McGuyver of the rest of it," Severus said, picking up a skewer for himself. "My cooking, no matter how brilliant, isn't going to get us out of this. But I have faith that you will."

In that moment, Remus felt as if he might burst from pride in knowing that Severus had such faith in him and his abilities; rather than overwhelm him, it made him want to do everything in his power to prove Severus hadn't misplaced his trust. "I'll do my best," he said softly. "I promise."

"Of course you will," Severus said, his voice holding no trace of doubt. He ate a few bites of his plantain, then put the skewer back down. "I'm going to go wash the pot and spoon so that we can turn in. Where do you suggest we sleep?"

"Near the fire," Remus replied promptly. "I have a couple of sleeping bags, but staying near the fire will help us keep warm, too, and help keep nasties at bay to boot."

"Makes sense." Severus rose, picking up the equipment he'd used in making their meal and heading off toward the pool. He was back in short order, and put the clean pot back near the fire to dry. He stretched his arms above his head, the bones of his spine popping, and yawned. "It can't be more than eight o'clock, and I'm exhausted. What about you?"

Remus peeked through his lashes, trying not to get caught watching Severus stretch even as he admired the long, lean lines of Severus' body on display. "Traipsing through the jungle is enough to make anyone tired," he murmured.

"Definitely!" Severus nodded in fervent agreement, then held out a hand toward Remus to help him up. "Come on, let's go to bed."

Remus stared up at him, silent as he scolded his wayward thoughts and reminded himself that Severus didn't mean it _that way_. At last, he reached up and clasped Severus' hand, shivering slightly at the warm, firm grip. Severus rarely touched him, and he maintained a healthy respect of Severus' personal boundaries, and this casual touch affected him far more than it ought to.

"I'll get the sleeping bags," he said, sounding a little husky.

"And I'll clear the ground of sticks and rocks," Severus replied, releasing Remus' hand with something he fancied might be reluctance. "Thank goodness I like a firm bed, or else this really would be torture. Although as tired as I am, I could probably sleep through a hurricane."

"I'll just be happy if it doesn't rain again," Remus replied, and then he turned his attention to retrieving their sleeping bags.

Once Severus had cleared the area, Remus unrolled the bags and spread them out, and he gestured expansively to them. "Your firm bed awaits, sir. Which would would you prefer - red or green?"

"Green," Severus replied at once, then gave Remus a narrow-eyed look, as if he was absolutely positive his assistant was already well aware of his color preferences. He shook his head and chuckled tiredly. "Which you knew." He sat down on the green bag and began to unlace his boots. "Let's hope we find civilization tomorrow. Or that it finds us."

Remus removed his boots as well and crawled into the red bag, zipping it up snugly. "I'll do my best," he murmured wearily, feeling the weight of his own fatigue settling on him now that he had stopped moving and doing things. "Good night, sir."

There as a rustle as Severus settled into his own bag. "Good night, Remus," came the soft reply. Then, perhaps, a murmur of "Sweet dreams"; but that could have just been the sound of the water from the waterfall.

* * *

The late morning sun was diffused by the greenery arching overhead, although the bit of shade provided was hardly cool. All in all, however, it was slightly more pleasant that trudging along the path up the mountain the previous day had been, except for one thing.

Severus had absolutely no idea if they were going in the right direction.

They'd left behind the waterfall that morning, after refilling their canteens and dining on more fruit and some of Remus' dried beef. The pool actually fed a stream which led down the vale in the direction they were headed, which at first had been the same direction of the mountain trail. Soon, however, it started to twist and turn, while there was no indication of any way they could climb up, even with rope, to reach the ridge that was their destination. Remus' map didn't have topographical features, nor was the stream indicated on it at all. So, in other words, they were lost.

That wasn't necessarily a tragedy, or at least it wasn't yet. They had to find someone, some time, and then they'd be able to get themselves on the right course. Either that or they'd get out of the vale and up to a road that was on Remus' map, and between that and the compass, they'd be able to navigate their way to where they should be. Or maybe they'd get cell phone reception and be able to call for help. There were a plethora of options, all leading to rescue, but the problem was that, at the moment, none of the options were bothering to present themselves.

Severus cast a sidelong glance at Remus, thanking heaven for the millionth time for his calm, able presence. There was no doubt in Severus' mind that if he'd been stranded by himself, he would probably have managed to get himself killed by now, and he had only Remus to thank for his continued survival. All that Remus had to thank him for, unfortunately, was for getting them into this jam in the first place, and that left Severus with an unaccustomed feeling of guilt. Well, guilt and something quite a bit more complex, but Severus wasn't certain that Remus would welcome his dawning awareness, either, despite having revealed his orientation the night before.

To say Severus was surprised was definitely an understatement. Never in the years he'd known Remus had he garnered any inkling that Remus was gay. Of course, it seemed that he'd done an equally good job of hiding his own orientation, even though he hadn't been trying. Which made him realize that, like himself, Remus was wholly dedicated to his job, which was a mixed bag in Severus' book. Remus being devoted to his job was a good thing, but Severus wasn't precisely certain, despite Remus' assurances of not minding Severus' various idiosyncrasies, that it meant Remus was necessarily devoted to _him_. 

And Severus was really starting to like the idea of Remus' interest being more in the employer than the employment.

It was a dangerous thing, and Severus knew he shouldn't push, not in these circumstances, to find out if their professional relationship could turn into something more. But the idea was very appealing, especially when he'd caught a glimpse of Remus' body the evening before, when Remus had gone to the pool to clean up. Severus hadn't had time to ogle too much, but he'd seen enough of the clean, well-muscled lines of Remus' chest and arms for his long-dormant libido to make itself most unmistakably apparent. A blessing and a curse, in a way, since there was not a bloody damned thing he could do about it. He'd come to the conclusion, after a fitful night of tossing and turning on the hard ground, that he'd have to do something, but it would need to wait until they'd gotten back to civilization. 

His restlessness had been more due to the erotic dreams he'd had about Remus every time he'd dozed off than any discomfort from the sleeping arrangements, and he just hoped he hadn't moaned anything inappropriate that would have Remus running for the hills. He didn't want Remus to think he was mistaking gratitude for Remus' presence in the jungle for being something more, especially since it _was_ more, and he knew himself well enough to see the difference. And that was another reason why Severus wanted to get back home as soon as they possibly could.

Unfortunately, soon wasn't going to be nearly soon enough. Especially not when he was already dying of hunger.

"I think we should stop," he said, frustrated with the needs of his own body for food and rest, since it slowed them down. "If we could catch a fish for lunch, I think the protein might be helpful, don't you?"

"Definitely," Remus replied with a nod. "I haven't tried spear-fishing in years, so I can't guarantee I'll catch anything, but I'll do my best." He lowered his pack to the ground beneath a nearby tree and began unpacking various items from it. "I'll wait until I know whether or not I'll catch anything before starting a fire. If I can't catch any fish, it'll be more fruit for lunch, so there's no real point in wasting a match or two."

Severus nodded, removing his backpack and sitting down for a moment to catch his breath. "I'll start scrounging fruit, since we'll want it even if you do catch a fish, for the sugar if nothing else." He watched Remus for a moment, enjoying the sight of his face as he was absorbed in his task. Remus didn't seem to think much of his own appearance, but Severus liked Remus' looks. Perhaps he wasn't classically handsome, but Severus thought he would never get tired of looking at Remus, no matter how long they were together.

The fact that he was thinking in terms of permanency brought Severus up with a start, but not out of fear or dismay. It seemed that he'd gone from not being aware of Remus as a man, to noticing him, to being obsessed, to... something more. Something that made him catch his breath and wonder if perhaps he was losing his mind after all. But for all that, it felt _right_ ; Remus was a permanent sort of person, and Severus didn't even want to imagine his life without Remus in it.

"I'll get started with the fruit," he said rising to his feet, feeling the need to do _something_. Even if it wasn't what he really wanted to be doing, which was snogging Remus breathless.

Remus smiled at him, an open expression tinged with warmth, and nodded. "All right. I'll be back soon, hopefully with fish. Be careful and watch out for snakes," he added, a parting admonishment before he gathered up his things and headed off.

"Right," Severus replied, then began to look around for likely trees to provide the fruit he sought. Mangoes were plentiful, but he was hoping for something a bit more diverse that would be tasty even if Remus didn't manage to get a fish. He paid close attention to the ground, rather than just the trees, and was rewarded when he found a set of familiar stalks.

"Yes!" he crowed victoriously, digging the the dirt and emerging with a bunch of round brown tubers, which he gathered up in his shirt. A bit further on, he saw another plant he recognized, and was very happy to add it to the tubers.

Knowing he would need to wash his prizes before cooking, he made his way toward the stream, stepping carefully to avoid making noise lest Remus was managing to find fish. As he emerged, he looked upstream from his position, then froze as he caught sight of Remus.

Whatever he'd thought of Remus' physique in the fading light of the setting sun, it was nothing compared to what he thought now, seeing him shirtless with the sun shining on his fair skin. Remus wasn't bulkily muscled - nor would Severus have found that attractive - but Remus was in _very_ good shape, indeed. Buff, that was the term that floated to the top of Severus' lust fogged mind, and he couldn't tear his eyes away as Remus stood poised at the edge of the stream, his improvised spear raised as he prepared to stab downward. Which he did, with an economy of motion that was beautiful to watch, before lifting his spear to reveal a large, plump fish wriggling on the end.

 _Oh, my,_ Severus thought fuzzily. _You can spear me any time._

Remus held up the fish and beamed proudly. "Look! I caught lunch!"

Caught staring, Severus managed a smile. "Great - I'll start cooking!" he called back, then quickly knelt by the side of the stream, distracting himself and hopefully covering his flushed cheeks from Remus' view. He dumped the vegetables into the water, washing them quickly but efficiently. Then he rose and went to join Remus, half hoping and half dreading that Remus might have replaced his shirt.

But Remus hadn't. He was kneeling by the river, his shirt off and his trousers rolled up, the cuffs still wet from his fishing expedition, and he was busily cleaning the fish with his Swiss army knife. "I'll have the fish ready in a minute," he said, glancing up at Severus with a smile. "Meanwhile, I think I spotted some oil palms a little ways upstream, if you think you could use them."

At first Severus didn't reply; he was too busy watching the ripple of muscles in Remus' shoulders and itching to run his fingers over Remus' smooth skin to feel them. Then he processed what Remus said, and he was further tormented with the thought of having something slick to rub on Remus' skin. Among other places.

"Er... yes. I could," he said faintly, then cleared his throat and knelt down beside Remus, keeping his eyes on the fish in order to keep himself from pushing Remus to the ground and jumping his bones. "If you don't mind peeling these tubers - they'rejicama, by the way - I'll go see if the oil palm has any fruit. If it does... well. There are a lot of uses for it."

"No, I don't mind." Remus gestured to a flat rock. "Just put them there, and I'll start peeling as soon as I've deboned the fish."

"Thank you," Severus said, placing the vegetables where Remus indicated, then drawing a deep breath and rising. "I'll be right back."

Fortunately the oil palms did contain fruit, and Severus, who'd had an extensive education in tropical foodstuffs in culinary school, knew just what to do with them. He harvested several ripe ones, then gathered up all the dry sticks he could find on his way back to Remus. He arranged the sticks as he'd seen Remus do, but since he didn't have the matches, he left them for Remus to light, then picked up the pot, carrying it to the river to fill with water.

"When you're ready, we can roast the fish," he told Remus, keeping his gaze fixed on Remus' hands. That seemed safest, so that he didn't give in to any untoward urges.

"Ready," Remus replied as he carefully picked up the neat fillets. "I'll start the fire and then work on the tubers, all right?"

"That's fine. I'll have to boil the palm fruits before we can get the oil out," Severus said, annoyed that his voice was husky and rather breathless. Being this close to Remus, being able to feel the heat radiating from his body, was almost more than his newly awakened libido could take. He drew in a deep breath, taking stern command of himself, then rose as well. "This might take a bit of time, but it will be worth it if we're going to be out here for much longer. We need fat in our diet to keep our strength up."

"We can't let you lose any weight, that's for sure." Remus slanted a sidelong, teasing look at him. "You'd be nothing but skin and bones, and I don't want to be sacked for letting my boss waste away to nothing."

Severus stopped, looking at Remus soberly, wondering if Remus thought he was unattractive because of his weight. "Am I too thin?" he asked, suddenly quite aware that he must seem almost scrawny compared to Remus' solid muscularity. He dropped his eyes, not wanting to see pity in Remus'. "They used to call me a beak-nosed stork when I was in school because I'm so gaunt."

"No," Remus said quickly, accompanying the denial with a vehement shake of his head. "No, you aren't too thin, and you aren't a beak-nosed stork. You're perfect just the way you are. You're lean, not skinny, and your nose has character. I like it a lot better than the cookie cutter nose jobs you see everywhere in this business."

A feeling of relief washed over Severus. Any hopes he had for trying to find out if Remus might be interested in changing their relationship to something more personal would be totally crushed if Remus thought he was unattractive. It wasn't that Severus really felt unattractive, or that he'd given it much thought since Remus had made it clear that he seemed to like Severus, but Remus' casual joke had suddenly brought back an old insecurity. One which Remus had fortunately eased.

"Thank you," he said, then managed a half smile. "Sorry, it's just that seeing how, um, well developed you are suddenly made me feel like a bag of bones in comparison. I guess I really do need to work out."

Remus flicked his gaze up and down the length of Severus' body, and he pressed his lips together before responding. "You look good now," he said at last. "If you start working out and get toned, you'll be gorgeous."

_Gorgeous?_

Severus stared back at Remus, unable to believe he'd heard correctly. Aside from his moment of self-doubt about what Remus thought about him, he'd not really cared what anyone thought of his looks, but he was self aware enough to realize he wasn't going to cause anyone to swoon from his good looks. He wondered for a moment if Remus was having him on, to make up for having made him remember an unpleasant episode of his youth, but Remus didn't lie, nor did he have any need to stroke Severus' ego. Although Severus certainly wouldn't have minded if Remus wanted to stroke other things. If Remus really meant it, that he thought Severus would be gorgeous if he worked out, then Severus vowed silently that he would start lifting weights the moment he got back home.

He was aware that his cheeks had flushed, Severus lifted his chin, striving for some of his usual self-confidence. "I'll make certain to buy those weights first thing," he said. "In the meantime, however, since you're the one who's buff, you get to do the oil extraction. But I promise to make it worth your while."

"All right." Remus smiled amiably as he placed the fillets on a rock by the fire pit. He knelt and began to work on starting a fire; apparently Severus had gathered suitable wood, or perhaps the lack of rain helped the wood dry out, because Remus was able to coax a spark to burst into flame more quickly than he had the night before. It wasn't long at all before he had a fire going, and he rocked back on his heels, looking pleased with himself.

"Do you need the oil or the tubers first?" he asked.

"I need to boil the palm fruits before we can get the oil," Severus replied, settling the pot of water over the fire so it could heat. "But I just had an idea. Instead of peeling the tubers, I'm going to do something else with them. You sit back and relax, and I'll take care of the rest. You did more than your share in spearing the fish."

He pointed sternly toward a log that was in the shade. "I'm also going to concoct something else I want you to try," he said. "So drink plenty of water to cleanse your palate."

With that, he turned back to the fire, bustling about as he began to prepare their meal. He wrapped the tubers in oil palm fronds and put them close to the fire, then disappeared for a few minutes in the direction of the stream, fetching more water and gathering a mango and a papaya from the fruit trees nearby. While the palm fruits boiled, he quickly dealt with the fruit, adding a some of the cool water to the juices, then carrying a collapsible plastic cup to Remus.

"It would be better with some ice, but hopefully it's a bit more refreshing than just water," he said as he passed it over.

Remus accepted the cup with murmured thanks and took a sip, and then he gazed up at Severus with obvious approval. "It's excellent! Very refreshing. With a little tweaking, you could put this on the menu at your restaurant. Sort of an homage to surviving your trek in the wilderness, perhaps."

"Perhaps I will," Severus replied, pleased that Remus was enjoying the beverage. He wasn't normally one to want to take care of someone else, but he found that he did with Remus. "Let me season the fish, and then I suspect I'll be ready for your help with the oil."

The skin of the palm fruits had indeed split in the water, and Severus nodded, pleased that things were going along as they should. He pulled the pot from the fire and drained the water, then let the fruits cool a bit while he went through the seasonings and spices he had, concocting a blend for the fish. While the fillets marinated, he returned to Remus, bringing the pot and a clean t-shirt from his pack.

"What we need to do is wrap the fruits in the shirt, and then I'll hold one end while you twist," he explained. "With the fruit over the pot, the oil will be forced out through the shirt and the pulp kept inside." He picked up a fruit, placing it in the middle of the shirt and holding out one end to Remus. "Ready?"

"Ready, sir!" Remus saluted smartly, and then he grasped the end of the shirt and began twisting it hard, his biceps flexing as he twisted the shirt tighter and tighter.

Severus watched the fruit as he held on to his end, twisting in the opposite direction from Remus as much as he could, but then holding on and making sure the fruit stayed over the pot. As the fabric tightened around the fruit, compressing the skin and pulp, a reddish-orange oil began to ooze through the fibers and drip down into the pot.

"Excellent!" Severus said, pleased that his improvised press was working so well. He also didn't mind at all that he could sneak glances of Remus' arms and shoulders as they worked.

When the trickle of oil slowed to drips, Severus asked Remus to reverse the twist, and they tightened in the opposite direction, getting a bit more oil from the fruit. In this fashion, they processed all the ones Severus had boiled, which yielded a half potful of the brightly colored oil.

"Excellent!" Severus declared, looking down into the pot and smiling smugly. Then he glanced up at Remus, deciding to tease a little just to see how Remus reacted. "I promise to use this to make you moan in pleasure," he drawled.

Remus made a soft sputtering noise before he glanced at Severus, although Severus saw no trace of horror or repugnance in his expression, only wide-eyed shock. "Really?" Remus' voice was low and husky, and he cleared his throat before speaking again. "I mean... what did you have in mind?"

Severus let his voice drop to a low, sultry purr, enjoying seeing Remus like this, so different from his normal cheerful efficiency. He thought that perhaps Remus might be just a bit aware of him in turn, and Severus wasn't going to hesitate to capitalize on it. "I'm going to fill your mouth with something hot and delicious, something so good it's almost sinful, and watch you as it slides down your throat, satisfying you in a way that nothing else can."

Remus' hazel eyes grew even wider and rounder behind his glasses, and his jaw dropped slightly before he shut it with a snap. He cleared his throat again and rocked back on his heels, and Severus could see a tell-tale tinge of pink staining his cheeks. Whatever he might think about it, Remus was clearly aware of the innuendo, at least. "Is that so... sir?" Remus asked, and never before had the word 'sir' been less of a respectful, formal mode of address and more of a deep, husky, sensually-charged hint of naughty potential.

Severus swallowed, wondering if Remus were about to turn the tables on him, and simply the thought of it left him breathless. He contemplated for a moment just scrapping any thoughts of lunch and using the oil in a way that was much more satisfying, but he didn't want to act in too much haste, or for Remus to feel pressured into doing something in the heat of the moment that he might regret later.

"Yes, it is," he affirmed, giving Remus a smile. "So you just sit back down, and I'll get everything ready. Then you can tell me if I've been successful or not."

With that he picked up the pot and turned back to the fire, setting about the last of the meal preparations with the concentration of a surgeon performing a particularly tricky operation. 

While the fish cooked in a shallow amount of the palm oil - Severus having poured the rest carefully into a spare bottle - Severus made improvised plates out of broad palm fronds. He retrieved the cooked fish, then quickly sauteed chunks of thetomatillos in the remaining oil. The jicama he split like a baked potato, then topped it with the tomatillo, before returning to Remus and serving him one of the fronds with a bow and a smile.

"Your lunch, my lord," he said. "I do hope it lives up to expectations."

Remus accepted the makeshift plate with a grateful smile, although he shook his head at Severus' address. "My lord?" he asked, one eyebrow raised. "Does that mean I've been promoted?"

"Certainly - or at least while we're here," Severus teased him. "After all, you're the one who has the map and the compass, and you're saving my arse, so that makes you the one in charge. At least until we get back to civilization. Then I can go back to being my surly, demanding self."

"I look forward to it," Remus replied, laughing quietly before taking his first bite. He closed his eyes, appearing transported for a moment, and when he looked at Severus again, his eyes were filled with admiration. "It's delicious," he declared. "You're amazing, sir."

Pleased that Remus liked the meal, Severus preened just a bit. He might not be buff - yet! - and perhaps he wasn't good at organization and completely sucked at people skills, but he could definitely cook... and wasn't the old saying that a way to a man's heart was through his stomach?

"I'm glad," he replied, then sat down next to Remus with his own plate, crossing his legs and settling in to enjoy his meal. "I like your idea about adding this to Le Prince's menu. I'll have to do up a sample menu when we get home and have you taste-test it for me."

Remus appeared to be happily engrossed in devouring his food, but he looked up and nodded at Severus' remark. "I'd be happy to taste anything you'd like."

It was a good thing Severus wasn't in the process of swallowing, or Remus' remark would have made him choke. The images that simple phrase conjured up were far, far too wicked, and Severus felt his face heating. "Excellent," he said, rather breathlessly. "It's a date, then?"

"A date?" Remus swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes. Yes, it's a date."

Severus smiled, then turned his attention back to his meal. He would most definitely hold Remus to the promise he'd just made as soon as they got back. And maybe if everything went the way he wanted, the dessert would end up being chocolate covered Lupin - a very rich dessert, he had no doubt, and one that he was beginning to believe would be endlessly more satisfying than any he'd ever had before.


	3. Chapter 3

When the rain started up that afternoon, Remus wasn't concerned initially. Sudden rain showers weren't uncommon, but they tended to pass quickly, and Remus decided to forge ahead, following the river up the mountain in hopes of eventually finding civilization. He stole glances at Severus over his shoulder, wanting to make certain Severus wasn't getting too tired or too miserable - or too cold and wet. On one of their expeditions for the last season, Severus had got a chill that turned into a cold that turned into bronchitis, and Remus was worried that Severus might be susceptible to a recurrence if he got sick again. Remus had a few simple medications in his first aid kit, but antibiotics weren't among them.

But the rain didn't lessen or pass; on the contrary, it grew heavier, and the skies overhead grew ever darker and ominous, and finally Remus stopped and peered up through the trees, trying to spot any break in the clouds.

"This doesn't look good," he murmured, more to himself than to Severus.

Apparently Severus heard him, however, for he gave a grunt of agreement. He'd tied back his hair again, but strands had escaped, hanging lankly about his face and dripping water from the ends. Remus fancied that Severus looked a bit pale, especially given the exertion of their hike, but Severus wasn't given to tanning so it could have simply been the contrast with his dark hair. What was very obvious was the deep line between his eyes, showing that he'd been scowling as they walked along.

But Severus made no complaint. Instead he sighed, and shielded his eyes from the rain as he looked into the jungle ahead. "Are we still going in the right direction? For all I can tell, we've been walking in circles - everything looks the same."

"No, we're still going up, which is what we want," Remus replied soothingly. He longed to reach out and touch Severus and try to comfort him, but he didn't think that would be professional of him. "We could stop for a while, if you like. Maybe we could get a little shelter under a tree."

At that moment, there was a stark flash of light, followed almost immediately by a crack of thunder so loud that Severus whirled, obviously looking to see if a tree was about to fall. "I don't think being under a tree is such a good idea now," he said, turning back to Remus and shaking his head grimly. "But I don't see much of an alternative, do you?"

Remus had been startled by the loud noise as well, and he looked up again, only to see thunderclouds amassing. This was far more than a shower, and he knew they had far more to worry about now than catching a cold.

"No, we can't stay here," he said, glancing around apprehensively. He knew it wasn't safe to remain where they were, but he had no idea where to seek shelter either. For the first time, he was at a loss, but the last thing he wanted to do was shake Severus' faith in him or make Severus worry.

There was another crack of thunder, and Severus frowned, stepping closer to Remus and shivering. "I guess we keep walking, then?" he asked, then gave a huff of annoyance. "I'm going to make sure the network executives pay for this! Maybe I'll dump Shacklebolt in an icy shower and refuse to let him out!"

Remus opened his mouth to reply when suddenly there was another crack and a blinding flash of light from somewhere far too close for Remus' comfort. "No walking," he exclaimed as he grabbed Severus' arm and tugged hard. "We run!"

Severus' eyes widened, but he made no protest, clutching the fabric of Remus' shirt in return. "Run like hell!" he shouted, and put action to words.

Despite being in better physical condition, Remus found himself hard-pressed to keep up with Severus' long legs, but he grabbed Severus' hand and held on for dear life as they pelted headlong through the forest; he had no idea where they were going or where they would be when they stopped running, but he didn't care. Far better to be even more lost than they already were than to be turned into crispy critters by a bolt of lightning.

His lungs were starting to burn, and his legs were threatening to collapse beneath him when he saw a dark mass looming in the distance. He squinted through the sweat and hair in his eyes, hoping they weren't about to run into the side of the mountain, but he didn't think they were _that_ lost, and the closer they got, the more he realized its shape appeared more man-made than something naturally occurring in the middle of a rain forest.

"There!" he shouted, pointing ahead with his free hand. "See that? Go that way!"

"Right!" Severus shouted, clinging tightly to Remus' hand as the vegetation slapped at their faces and pulled at their legs. The ground, already wet before, was becoming almost boggy, sucking at their feet as they headed toward the structure. Severus was breathing hard, his labored panting evident even over the pelting rain and rumbles of thunder, but he didn't slow down, apparently far more worried about the storm than about killing himself getting out of it.

As they got closer, Remus could make out columns of stone rising out of the underbrush, and he was awash in relief when he realized they had found ruins of some kind. As long as there was at least a partial roof remaining somewhere amid the crumbling structures, they would be all right. Soon it was clear that they had stumbled across an ancient temple, one Remus didn't remember seeing marked on his map, and once they neared the ruined building, he slowed down to a jog and tugged Severus' hand.

"We shouldn't run inside," he said. "We need to determine how stable the building is first. If it doesn't seem likely to fall down around our ears, we can set up camp inside."

Severus snorted, and Remus saw a flash of amusement in his dark eyes despite the rain. "What happened to 'any port in a storm'?" he asked, but he stopped, breathing hard as he looked at the ruins. "How in the world do we tell?"

"It should be all right," Remus assured him, giving his hand a squeeze. "We just need to make certain the walls are still secure and the roof isn't about to cave in, assuming there _is_ a roof."

"If there isn't, it's not going to be terribly useful, now is it?" Severus said snarkily, but he squeezed Remus' hand in return, seeming in no hurry to free himself from the grasp. "Well, then, shall we take a look? I'm not getting any dryer standing here waiting for you to put your structural engineer hat on."

"It's at home with my fedora," Remus replied cheekily as he led Severus into the temple.

The stone walls were overgrown with creeper tendrils and lichen, but even after centuries, they still seemed secure; time and the elements hadn't worn away the roof either, and once inside, they had an immediate respite from the rain, although the air was still damp and chilly, and there were no windows to let in any light.

"We'll be all right in here," he said, sighing with relief. He released Severus' hand with reluctance and lowered his backpack to the dirty stone floor. "Maybe we can start a fire with some of these dead vines and wait out the storm."

Severus was looking about with a raised brow, but there was definitely relief in his eyes. "It's not the Ritz Carlton, but I swear that at this point the fact that it's dry and safe makes it a palace as far as I'm concerned," he said. He, too, removed his backpack, then began to gather up the tough, dessicated brown tendrils of vines that had encroached on the stone then died from a lack of light.

While Severus took care of that, Remus retrieved his torch from his backpack and flicked it on; he took a quick walk around the interior, scouting for a suitable place to set up, and he decided to build their campsite near the crumbling remains of what looked like an altar. There was a hole in the ceiling above and behind the altar that appeared man-made, as if it had once served as a smoke hole for ceremonial fires. He unpacked and unrolled their sleeping bags so Severus would have a comfortable place to rest, and then he got out his waterproof matches.

"I think our spare clothes are dry enough for now," he called out. "You should change as soon as possible before you get a serious chill."

As he was rummaging through his pack for dry clothes, his fingers brushed against a small container tucked in the bottom, one he'd forgotten he had packed, and he grabbed it excitedly and tucked it in his pocket to save as a surprise for Severus.

Severus approached, casting an approving eye over the sleeping bags before placing the large bundle of vines on the stone floor. "Shall I get stones to go around the fire before I change?" he asked, rubbing his filthy hands over the seat of his jeans, briefly emphasizing the curve of his arse. "I'll survive another few minutes in wet clothes, I think."

Remus tried and failed not to follow the movement of Severus' hands, and he released a shuddery breath as he tried to keep his toes from curling. Even wet, exhausted, and muddy, Severus was still the sexiest man Remus had ever seen.

"No, you go and change," he said firmly, standing up and holding out a stack of clothes. "I'll get the rocks."

_And try not to go mad with the knowledge that you're stripping practically in front of me._

"All right." Severus accepted the clothes, then turned and placed them on his sleeping bag. He didn't hesitate to strip his shirt off over his head, then stretched up his arms and sighed as his back popped loudly. "Ah... much better."

Remus stared, his mouth going dry at the sight, and he had to force himself to look away and remember he was meant to be gathering stones for the fire pit. He turned and walked away quickly before Severus could start unfastening his trousers, grateful for the dim light that hid his flushed face. He loitered over finding rocks, hoping that by the time he finally collected enough, Severus would be fully dressed again.

At last, he couldn't dawdle any longer, and he returned to the altar with the rocks cradled in the hem of his shirt. "All set?" he called out with far more cheer than he felt.

"Yes, yes," Severus replied, sounding a bit distracted. "Damn, I have a hole in my sock!"

Remus stopped short, belatedly realizing that Severus' shirt was still unbuttoned all the way down the front and even more belatedly realizing that Severus was staring at a sock. "Er." He swallowed hard and tore his gaze away from the tempting glimpse of a treasure trail leading downward into the waistband of Severus' jeans. "Er, I think I may have a sewing kit. I can darn it, if you don't have any spares."

Kneeling, he unloaded the rocks and forced himself to focus on arranging a nice sized circle so he wouldn't think about using the altar to do sacrilegious things to Severus on it.

Severus looked relieved. "I should have known you'd have something," he said, then looked very self-satisfied. "I can actually sew it myself, believe it or not. I'm more than just a great cook and devastatingly charming."

Now that he wasn't distracted by semi-naked Severus, Remus could respond in kind, and he gave Severus an amused look over his shoulder. "In that case, I apologize for stereotyping you as just another charming chef. I should have known there were hidden depths I haven't yet explored."

Then he realized what he'd said and silently groaned, irate with himself for being so obsessed he couldn't say anything that didn't remind him of sex.

"You've no idea," Severus replied, his lips twitching in apparent amusement, but it must have been a trick of the low light that made it seem as though his eyes were glittering with heat. "I have many hidden talents, although none of them seem to be as useful as yours in this particular situation. But perhaps I'll get to demonstrate them to you at some point, and find out if any of them hold any appeal for you."

"I certainly hope so," Remus replied, his voice soft and husky, and then he cleared his throat and sat back so he could begin piling up the vines. "Anyway, the sewing kit should be in one of the zippered sections inside my pack if you want to get it."

Severus nodded, moving to Remus' pack and swiftly searching for the kit. He found it, then dropped down on his sleeping bag cross-legged, concentrating on threading a needle, then pulling it carefully through the fabric of the sock. He focused on it as intently as he did on chopping vegetables ordeboning fish, although he had to turn his head twice, coughing slightly before clearing his throat. 

Remus was brought out of his reverie about whether Severus might be so intense and focused in bed when he heard Severus cough, and his concern about Severus catching cold escalated into outright worry. He doubled his efforts to start the fire, wishing for dry wood instead of dead vines, and he sighed with relief when he'd finally managed to build a decent fire. As soon as he was satisfied that it would last on its own for a little while, he rummaged in his bag for the first aid kit, just in case.

"How do you feel?" he asked softly, scooting closer to Severus and gazing at him worriedly.

"Now that I'm in dry clothes, I'm feeling the heat again," Severus replied with a shrug. He'd finished with the sock, and he slipped it on his narrow foot with a decided air of satisfaction. "I'll just be glad when we're back to civilization and air-conditioning. So, I suppose that unless you have smoked salmon and caviar tucked away somewhere, I'm going to have to figure out how to concoct our dinner out of sticks and rocks? A challenge, but I can do it. Why don't you change, and I'll get started?"

"I don't think you ought to worry about trying to cook anything tonight," Remus replied, still watching Severus closely. "We ate well at lunch, and I'm not that hungry. We can make do with dried fruit and beef jerky. Oh, and..." He fished the tin out of his pocket and held it up proudly. "Tea! I have a few bags of Earl Grey in here. We just need to boil some water, and we can have a cup of cure-all."

Severus' eyes widened, and he licked his lips. "Anything, anything you want from me you can have, if I can have a cup of tea," he said hoarsely. "It feels like a year since I've had a cup!"

Remus barely kept himself from blurting out, _Anything?_ , but he managed it. "You aren't really in the position to offer much right now," he said, taking refuge in teasing. "Maybe I'll get that promise in writing for when we get back home."

"Raises, favors, anything... I'll even put it in writing now," Severus replied, making a feint for the tin. There was a flush to his skin, and as close as they were, Remus could feel the heat coming from it.

Remus handed over the tin willingly in favor of pressing his hand to Severus' forehead. "You've got a fever," he said, worry flaring even higher. "Damn, I should have got you out of the rain sooner. Here..." He reached for the first aid kit and opened it. "I'll boil some water and make the tea, and then you need to take something. Aspirin rather than ibuprofen, I think, unless you're feeling achy. Then I want you to eat something and get in your sleeping bag so you can rest."

"I'm not achy," Severus denied, not pulling back from Remus' hand. He shivered slightly, however, and sighed. "It's not your fault, Remus. It's not as though you could magically produce shelter out of the jungle, despite your other amazing talents." His mouth quirked up on one side. "Besides, I got us into this mess, so it's my fault. I'm lucky you decided it was worth hauling me out of the jungle with you, instead of just leaving me behind."

"Well, it was rather bad timing for a display of temper, but the driver over-reacted spectacularly too, so I'm not inclined to assign blame." Remus couldn't resist the urge to slide his hand down to cup Severus' cheek and stroke it gently with his thumb. "Besides, I would never leave you behind, sir. You're always worth hauling around, even when you'resnarky."

For a brief moment, it seemed that Severus' eyes dropped to Remus' lips, but then he was looking into Remus' eyes again and giving a soft snort. "You're the only one who isn't intimidated by my snark," he replied, his voice low and warm. "I suppose I'll have to find some other way of getting under your skin."

 _You have been for years_ , Remus thought, but outwardly, he only smiled and drew back with reluctance before he did something foolish like try to kiss his boss. "I'm sure you can accomplish anything you set your mind to, sir."

With that, he moved away at last and rummaged around for the sauce pan, which he filled with water from the canteen. "Here you go. Hopefully you aren't too sick to boil water," he teased. "If you'll take care of that, I'll get into some dry clothes right quick like."

The suggestion that, ill or not, he might burn water earned Remus A Look, but Severus took the pan and positioned it over the fire. "You can change right here, if you'd like," Severus said casually. "It's warmer by the fire."

Remus made a concerted effort to keep his expression calm rather than gaping at Severus with bug-eyed shock at the suggestion. At first, the thought of changing clothes in front of Severus was embarrassing, but then some evil part of his nature that rarely reared its head whispered that perhaps if he _did_ , Severus might finally notice him as a man rather than a helpful assistant.

"Yes, it is," he said slowly, giving Severus an uncertain look, "but I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

Severus looked back calmly. "You won't," he said quietly. "If you'd like, I'll turn around. I don't want to make you uncomfortable, either."

On the one hand, Remus wasn't certain whether to be disheartened by Severus' certainty that seeing Remus undressed wouldn't bother him, but on the other, his pride was urging him to go through with it, if only so he didn't appear prudish in front of Severus. He wasn't shy, and he wasn't insecure about his body, but none of his fantasies of undressing for Severus had gone like this.

"I don't mind," he said at last, delving into his pack for some clean, dry clothes. He stripped off his boots and put them close to the fire and draped his wet socks over the top of them. Then he stood and began peeling off layers - rain slicker and shirt first and, after a moment's hesitation, his trousers - with swift utilitarian movements, wanting to seem as matter-of-fact about the proceedings as possible.

There was a small sound from Severus, and when Remus glanced at him it seemed at perhaps Severus wasn't quite so unaffected after all. His lips were parted slightly, his eyes glittering and his face seeming more flushed that it had been before. Severus wasn't gawking, but he obviously could see Remus, although he dropped his gaze when he became aware of Remus looking, focusing instead on the tea.

Well, that was promising. Remus smiled a little to himself as he put his wet clothes aside and toweled off as best he could with a handkerchief before dressing again, although he was daring enough to turn his back and give Severus a view of his arse, grateful that he wore tight boxer-briefs rather than baggy boxers.

There was a muffled sound and then a curse from Severus, followed by a hissing sound. He glanced around to find Severus righting the pot, and Severus studiously looked away. "Not one word about me not being able to boil water," Severus muttered under his breath. "Not one word!"

Remus schooled his features into bland innocence as he finished buttoning up his shirt and returned to his place by the fire. "No, sir," he replied as he sat down and pulled on a pair of socks. "Of course not! Accidents happen to everyone."

"Especially in primitive conditions," Severus affirmed. "Let me add more water to this. Fortunately I'd not added the tea bags, so it's only a slight inconvenience. Tea is more precious than gold at the moment."

"Definitely," Remus replied, his response as fervent as Severus'. He was dying for a cup of tea, too, and this would be as much of a blissful luxury for him as it would be for Severus. He passed over a canteen so Severus could refill the pan, and then he retrieved the dried fruit and beefjerky for their dinner. It wouldn't be as good as the fresh fish, but neither of them needed to be out in the rain, and he was determined not to let Severus overexert himself.

Soon the tea was ready, and Severus poured it into the small plastic bowls they had in lieu of mugs. Then Severus opened his own backpack, pulling out a small container and opening it. "I'm afraid I don't have anything so ordinary as sugar," he said, holding out the container to Remus. Inside were several finger-long pieces of a fibrous white plant. "But I did bring this along in my culinary bag of tricks. Would you care for some sugarcane for your tea?"

"I'd love some," Remus replied, offering Severus a grateful smile as he took a piece of sugarcane. He was desperate enough for tea that he would have drained the cup anyway, but a bit of sweetener was most welcome. "Thank you, sir. Although you'll have to tell me what to do with it," he admitted sheepishly.

Severus gave him a look of amusement. "You simply stir it into your tea," he explained. Taking a piece for himself, he demonstrated, holding the stick as though it were a spoon and swirling it through the tea. "The sugar is bound up in the fibers, but the heat will cause it to melt out into the tea. Be careful, though - it can quickly become too sweet. If you've a sweet tooth, you can even chew the sugarcane, although I find it a bit too much for my own tastes."

"Really?" Remus eyed the sugarcane with renewed interest. He was relieved he didn't have to do anything complicated to get out the sugar as they'd done with the palm oil, but even more than that, he was intrigued by the idea of chewing on it. His sweet tooth was prodigious, and while sugarcane wasn't dark chocolate, at least it was sweet. He chewed experimentally on one end and hummed with pleasure, his eyes going half-lidded as the sweetness flooded his mouth. "Mmm... It's not too sweet for me. It's delicious."

Severus was staring at him intently, his dark eyes gleaming. "I'll keep your liking for sweets in mind for the future," he said huskily, then cleared his throat before sipping his own tea. Perhaps it was Remus' imagination, but it seemed that Severus' breathing had sped up.

"I'm very fond of dark chocolate," Remus said as he dunked the sugarcane into his tea at last and swirled it around, still smiling over the unexpected treat. "For the record, that is. I didn't expect you to know that or remember it, if I'd ever mentioned it before."

"Hmmm," Severus replied softly, giving a small smile. He swirled his tea, then drained the last of it before placing his bowl on ground. Outside the rain was still pelting down, and rumbles of thunder echoed through the jungle, but Severus looked as content as Remus had ever seen him. "I think I'll mention to the producers that I'd like to do a show on dark chocolate; I'd love to show you just how very creative I could be with your favorite treat."

"Would you?" Remus tried not to think about the more prurient creative uses of dark chocolate, especially since Severus was probably thinking about truffles or cake, not about drizzling warm melted chocolate onto his bare skin for Remus to lick off. "I'd like that. Anyway, would you like something to eat now?" he asked, trying to get as far away from thoughts about dark chocolate and naked skin as possible, and he gathered up some of the dried fruit and the first aid kit to hand over to Severus. "You should take some of this aspirin, too, and then lie down."

Severus looked at him with a raised brow, but then nodded. "I'm not terribly hungry, but I guess I should eat something," he said, accepting the dried fruit and selecting a few small bits, popping them into his mouth. "But I don't want to waste the aspirin if I don't have a fever." He leaned closer to Remus, obviously inviting his touch. "What do you think? Am I still hot?"

 _Oh, yes_ was the first thought that popped into Remus' mind, and he silently castigated himself for thinking such things when Severus might be ill. Instead, he reached out and touched Severus' forehead and cheek, alarmed by the heat he felt.

"Yes, you're warmer than you should be," he said, gazing at Severus worriedly. "You definitely need to take something and get some rest. Do you have a sore throat? How do your lungs feel?"

"My throat and lungs seem fine right now," Severus replied, leaning into Remus' touch and closing his eyes briefly. "Your hand feels good." He sighed, looking at Remus ruefully. "I suppose I should take that aspirin after all."

Drawing back with reluctance, Remus opened the aspirin bottle and shook out two pills, handing them over along with a canteen. "You really should," he said. "Perhaps it's just a chill, and if we can keep it from turning into a cold, I'll rest much easier in my mind." He didn't want to remind Severus of how susceptible he was to developing bronchitis again, since pointing out that if he did get it, there wasn't anything they could do about it in the middle of the jungle would only add to Severus' stress.

Severus accepted the aspirin obediently, swallowing it down before passing back the canteen. Then he crawled into his sleeping bag, laying back and sighing. "I shouldn't be feeling so tired," he murmured. "At this rate we'll never get out of this annoying jungle."

"You've had a rough couple of days," Remus said soothingly, resisting the urge to reach out and offer a comforting touch. "It's no wonder you're tired. Just rest right now, sir. We'll make a fresh start tomorrow."

"You've had just as bad of a time," Severus replied, his eyes sliding shut. "And you've taken care of me. Don't know... what I'd do... without you." With that, Severus slid into slumber, his body relaxing and the line between his eyes smoothing out.

Despite the rigors of the day, Remus was too wound up to try to sleep, and so he sat and watched over Severus instead, warmed as much by the unexpected praise as he was by their small fire. Perhaps it was silly to let himself raise his hopes that Severus might notice him, grow attracted to him, perhaps even care for him one day, but he thought Severus needing him was a good start. At the very least, it was a hopeful sign that Severus might keep him around even after the show ended. Remus could handle remaining Severus' right-hand man and never being anything more, but the mere thought of Severus letting him go made him go cold inside.

He distracted himself from fantasizing about Severus realizing he had fallen desperately in love with his assistant by eating some of their dried rations and rearranging his backpack, because really, having Mills & Boon daydreams was too soppy, even for Remus' own sensibilities. After a while, he made another round of the temple to gather more vines for the fire and briefly ventured out to scavenge for wood, and then he built up the fire a bit before scooting over to check on Severus.

Severus was breathing shallowly, and even though his face was flushed his was shivering. As though sensing Remus near he opened his eyes, which seemedunfocused. "So cold," he muttered, trying to curl up into a ball in the sleeping bag. "Why is it so cold?"

"Oh, bugger," Remus muttered, staring at Severus in dismay. The fever had gotten worse, not better, and there was little he could do about it here. He had only one option, really, which was to try to get Severus warm, and since he couldn't build a bigger fire with the scarcity of dry wood available, he would have to use the next best thing. "Don't worry, sir," he said, reaching out to unzip Severus' sleeping bag. "It'll be warm soon, I promise."

As soon as he'd unzipped Severus' bag, he spread it out flat, and then he quickly unzipped his own and covered Severus with it. Drawing a deep breath, he braced himself, issuing a stern reminder that this was for Severus' own good, and then he crawled under the blanket as well, positioning Severus between the fire and himself, and he pressed against Severus' back, draping one arm across Severus' waist for good measure.

Severus pressed back against him, still shivering, and placed his own arm over Remus', curling against it. "You're warm," he said groggily. "Don't go away." Even feverish and half asleep, Severus managed to make it sound like an imperious command.

"I'm not going anywhere, sir," Remus replied, chucking quietly at the haughty tone.

Having Severus in his arms at last felt just as good as he'd dreamed it would; he only wished it had occurred under different circumstances. Still, he was helping Severus even if he was also torturing himself, and he had no intention of moving away. He nestled closer and tightened his arm around Severus, enjoying the feel of Severus' long, lean body pressed against his while he could. Likely he would never experience this again, but at least he would have this memory to savor.

* * *

Waking up was a slow process, and Severus fought against it for some unknown time. Why should he want to wake, when he was warm and comfortable, and there was a firm presence against his back, cocooning him, making him feel safe and cared for? 

Unfortunately, however, he was also feeling thirsty, and that pulled him further back toward consciousness. He became aware of a faint stirring of warm air against the back of his neck, and memory returned.

Remus. It was Remus holding him closely, pressing against him and making him feel as though he were cherished and protected.

Severus held his breath, not wanting to move and lose the contact between them. It felt wonderful, and he wanted more than anything to turn in the circle of Remus' arms and wrap his own about him, waking him with a kiss. It was too soon for that, he knew, but that didn't stop him from wanting it almost as much as he wanted to breathe.

He remembered being cold, shivering within his sleeping bag, and remembered the way that Remus had taken care of him. He had hopes that it meant Remus felt something more from him than just the dedication of a man for an employer whom he liked; at the very least, it seemed to indicate that Remus wasn't averse to the thought of holding him and being physically close.

The desire to look at Remus' sleeping face suddenly overwhelmed him, and so Severus drew in a breath, then turned over, moving one arm and laying it across Remus' waist so that they were facing one another. He cracked his eyes open, letting his gaze wander over Remus' face, which looked relaxed and somehow younger in slumber. He wasn't classically handsome, perhaps, but Severus thought that Remus looked perfect, and he felt a surge of desire that nearly took his breath away.

Remus stirred and sighed, opening his eyes slightly - and then going wide-eyed for a moment as if surprised to find himself practically nose-to-nose with Severus. Memory seemed to return quickly, however, and Remus reached out to touch Severus' forehead.

"Good morning, sir," he said, his voice sleep-raspy. "How do you feel?"

For a moment, Severus considered playing sick to keep Remus close, but he decided that it wouldn't be fair. He did want Remus to hold him like this, but from choice, not because Severus was tricking him. There was also the matter that Remus had obviously been very worried about him, and it would be wrong to deceive him and cause him unnecessary concern. 

"Better," he replied, although he made no attempt to move. He didn't want to move; what he wanted was to nibble at the delectable line of Remus' jaw, which was showing a line of stubble even against the tan of Remus' skin. Unfortunately that wasn't an option, nor was leaning forward and nuzzling Remus' cheek. Damn it. "Thank you for taking care of me. I realize I'm fortunate that you haven't just left me out in the jungle for being such a nuisance."

Remus groped for his glasses and put them on, seeming better able to focus on Severus' face after that. "I'd never abandon you, sir," he replied softly. "No matter what."

"I'm glad," Severus said, and he meant it completely. He didn't know what he would do without Remus, who had managed to work his way into Severus' life and carve himself an irreplaceable niche in it. A niche that Severus hoped might expand into something far more. He offered a half-smile, enjoying watching Remus looking at him. He liked Remus' glasses, but it was the spray of freckles across Remus' nose that he wanted to lean forward and kiss. Which was such an incredible soppy notion that he stopped, realizing something that left him breathless.

What he felt for Remus had gone far past desire. Somehow Severus had fallen in love with him.

Remus mirrored the smile, his eyes warm and crinkling at the edges. "Now that we've established I don't have any intention to leave you to the jungle predators, do you think you could eat something? It doesn't sound like it's storming, so I could go out and gather some fruit."

Stunned by his sudden revelation, Severus wanted nothing more than to roll Remus beneath him and devour _him_ , slaking a hunger that was far greater than any need for food. He'd never thought that he'd fall in love with anyone, and he'd half expected that if he ever did, he'd have to worry about driving the person off with his temper and his demanding personality. Remus, however, had been with him for years, had seen him at his worst, and had promised to stay with him no matter what. Certainly that indicated devotion; all Severus had to figure out was how to turn that from a sense of duty to something more emotional. Unfortunately he had no experience with trying to make someone fall in love with him.

Aware that he'd been silent for too long, Severus nodded reluctantly. He didn't want to move, but short of clinging to Remus like a limpet, it didn't seem that he had much choice. "All right. I'll come with you."

"I'm not sure that's a good idea," Remus said, frowning slightly. "You were feverish last night, and I imagine that's taken a lot out of you. I think you ought to stay here, take some more aspirin, and rest rather than exert yourself too much too soon."

Severus snorted slightly, but he didn't want to annoy Remus. "Yes, sir," he replied, making a try at meekness and failing miserably. "I'll do as you say, since you have taken good care of me and I appreciate it. But I don't want you to overtax yourself, either. I imagine you didn't get much rest last night, since you were managing me. I'll just have to find some way to make it up to you." _Preferably by getting you in a real bed and doing things to you to make you scream in pleasure._

Remus laughed openly at Severus' attempt at humility as he pushed back the sleeping bag covering him and sat up. "Just don't have a relapse, and I'll be satisfied," he said.

Rolling to his feet, Remus did a few stretches before fetching his Swiss army knife and gathering up the canteens. "I'll see if I can get us some more water while I'm out. Hopefully we aren't too far from the river. If not, I might even be able to get some more fish later."

Severus watched with hooded eyes as Remus stretched, glad for the sleeping bags which hid his reaction to the sight of Remus' body so fetchingly displayed. If he were lucky, perhaps he could convince Remus to let him out to watching the fishing - especially if Remus did it shirtless again.

"Sounds like a good plan," he replied. "I'll gather up some more vines, and see if there is anything else we can use for the fire. Cooking isn't going to strain me."

"All right, then. I'll be back shortly!" Remus gave him a cheerful smile and a wave before heading out of the ruined temple, giving Severus a maddeningly good view of his arse along the way.

Sighing with a combination of frustration and lingering tiredness, Severus threw back the sleeping back covering him and rose gingerly to his feet. He could feel the lingering effects of the fever he'd run, but he seemed well enough for the moment, if a bit week. He was glad that his illness had been apparently brief and not terribly serious; it would have been very embarrassing if he'd been sick to his stomach or worse.

His shoes had dried fairly well next to the fire, which had died out some time during the night. He donned them, then set about gather up more vines, having to move closer to the front of the temple to find suitable specimens. Glancing outside, he noticed that the storm of the previous day had cleared off completely, leaving a brilliant and apparently cloudless blue sky overhead.

An odd sound reached his ears, a strange, regular thumping that made him frown. It wasn't drumbeats, but it seemed familiar, somehow. He'd heard it before, he was sure, and...

"Remus!" he shouted, running out of the temple and looking around to see where Remus had gone. "Remus! It's a helicopter! Maybe they're looking for us!"

Fortunately, Remus hadn't gone far, and at Severus' summons, he turned and ran back, peering up through the canopy. "Get some damp leaves!" he instructed as he darted back inside the temple.

"Damp leaves?" Severus was perplexed, but he rushed to do as Remus asked, gathering up an armful of leaves as he looked up for some sign of the helicopter. "What do I do with them?"

"There's an open area just over there," Remus called out, pointing in the direction where he obviously wanted Severus to go, and as he ran out of the temple and led the way, Severus saw he had a road flare clutched in one hand. "Take the leaves there. We'll try to send a smoke signal!"

"What?" Severus stopped for a moment, looking at the flare and shaking his head before hurrying off in Remus' wake. "You have _got_ to be kidding me! Why in the world do you have a _road flare_ in the jungle?"

Once they reached a small open area formed by a couple of downed trees that appeared to have been struck by lightning, Remus stopped and gave him a look that implied it ought to be obvious. "In case we get lost, of course. I've carried one ever since that incident in Samoa."

"Oh." It was hard to argue with that, and Severus gave a put-upon sigh. That particular incident hadn't been _his_ fault, not really. Or he didn't _think_ so, but he supposed he could have had a little something to do with it. Not that it was at all important at the moment. "What do I do with the leaves?"

"Drop them over there," Remus said, pointing to a place on the ground that was more or less in the middle of the clearing. "Make a little pile, but reserve some just in case. If this works like I hope it will, we won't have a fire perse , but we'll have plenty of smoke. With any luck, whoever is in that helicopter will see it and investigate, even if they aren't looking for us specifically."

"All right." Severus hurried to do as Remus instructed. If this worked, then once again Remus would have pulled him out of a bad situation; he just hoped that Remus meant what he'd said about staying around and not minding. "There, will that do?"

"Perfect!" Remus gave him a reassuring smile before setting about lighting the flare and using it to make the damp leaves smolder. Every second that passed seemed like an eternity, but at last, smoke began to rise, growing higher and thicker as the flare did its work.

"Brilliant!" Severus said, giving Remus a look of respect. "Come on, helicopter! I'd even welcome a network executive at this point!"

The thumping of the rotors was impossible to track, and for a time, Severus thought they might be receding. "Come back, come back," he muttered under his breath, moving closer to Remus as he searched the sky overheard for any sign. Then the sound got louder, and louder, and over the edge of the ridge before them came one of the most welcome sights Severus had ever seen - a large blue and white helicopter, obviously of military origin, with the side door open and a man with binoculars leaning out, searching the ground.

"They found us!" Severus said, then threw his arms around Remus and gathered him into a fierce hug. "You did it! They saw the smoke!"

Remus seemed startled at first, no doubt because Severus was a notoriously hands-off man who rarely touched anyone of his own accord, but he didn't hesitate to wind his arms around Severus and return the enthusiastic embrace. "Thank God! Civilization, here we come!"

"A hot bath and an icy cold air-conditioned room!" Severus agreed fervently. He kept an arm around Remus as he waved at the helicopter, which drew closer as they watched. The man with the binoculars waved back, and Severus drew in a breath. "Good God... is that _Regulus_?"

Remus' good cheer crumpled into glowering dismay. "Probably," he grumbled. "At least he finally found a way to put one of his toys to practical use."

Severus chuckled, and gave Remus a squeeze. "Indeed he did," he said comfortingly, trying to sooth Remus' obvious disgruntlement with theirrescuer's identity. "At this point I wouldn't care if it was the devil himself, so long as he gets us out of here."

"Regulus Black, the devil. Same difference," Remus muttered.

"So it's been said," Severus replied with a snort. He looked up at the helicopter and raised two fingers. "Come on, let's get our stuff. It will take them a few minutes to get set up to lower the basket."

"Yes, sir," Remus replied, pausing long enough to snuff out the smoldering leaves before heading back to the temple. It didn't take long for them to stuff everything into their packs, and for once Remus didn't seem concerned with neatness or organization. He did a last look around to make certain they hadn't left anything behind, and then they returned to the clearing, where Regulus' crew in the helicopter were lowering a sturdy rescue basket.

Overhead, Regulus stood near the door and took off his hat - a brown fedora - to wave down at them.

"Drama queen," Severus commented at the sight of his friend, then turned to Remus as the basket hit the ground. "All right, up you go."

"Absolutely not!" Remus replied, shaking his head firmly. "Bosses first. Especially convalescing bosses."

"Look, if I'm the boss, then I should be able to tell _you_ to go first!" Severus said, wanting Remus to go first so that he could be certain Remus was safe. He glared, but Remus was wearing his look of quiet but stubborn determination, the one that meant Remus had dug in his heels and wasn't about to be argued with. It wasn't very often Remus wore That Look, but Severus knew that they'd simply stand there arguing for hours and Remus wouldn't give in.

"Fine!" he groused, then waggled a finger at Remus, although his lips twitched. "One of these days I _will_ win an argument with you. Even if it takes me the next hundred years!"

"You can certainly try, sir." Remus appeared calm and complacent now that Severus had given in, and he stood back so Severus could climb into the basket.

The ride up to the helicopter was brief, and Severus spent it looking back down at Remus. Then the basket was pulled into the helicopter, and Severus stepped out and faced his rescuer. "Thanks for the lift, Regulus. Did you just happen to be lurking around South America?"

"No, I came for the express purpose of rounding up a lost chef," Regulus replied, reaching out to embrace Severus. "Thank God you're all right! I was worried sick when I found out you never showed up at the location."

"Well, I owe you one. I want to track that driver who abandoned us down and make his life most unpleasant," Severus said, returning the embrace briefly and then pulling back. "But first I want my... Remus up here. Then we can tell you all about how he saved my arse about a dozen times in the last few days."

Regulus waved dismissively as he steered Severus to one of the seats. "I'm sure he was a regular Boy Wonder," he said, gesturing to the crew to lower the basket again. "You look ghastly, Severus. We need to get you cleaned up and checked by a medic. There's no telling what kind of parasites and bacteria you picked up trudging around down there."

Severus resisted, moving back to the doorway of the helicopter. "Yes, yes, I'm probably full of cooties, but that can all wait." He watched as the crew started pulling the basket back up, and the cable swayed. "Be careful with him!" he hissed at the man by the door, giving him a glare. "If he's hurt by your carelessness after all that we've been through, you'll be very, very sorry." The man apparently didn't understand English, but he must have caught Severus' tone and look, for he nodded.

Regulus rolled his eyes and muttered something about coddling the help, but he didn't get in the way, and in a minute or two, Remus was safely deposited in the helicopter with them. Remus murmured words of thanks to the crew in their own language as he climbed out of the basket.

"Right, let's get going," Regulus said, signaling the pilot. "Take a seat, gentlemen, and buckle up!"

"Finally," Severus said, fastening himself into a seat next to Remus with a sigh. "I can't wait to get a shower." He gave Remus a slight smile. "And I owe you substantially more than a cup of tea, you know."

Remus smiled back and shook his head. "You really don't owe me anything," he said. "I'm just glad I could help, even if I didn't manage to get us back to civilization."

"You saved my life," Severus replied, leaning back in his seat and closing his eyes. They were safe and sound, and that was all that really mattered. "Do you remember when we went to Kenya? I actually listened when you talked about the tribal beliefs, and I remember they said that when you savesomeone's life, they're yours forever. Looks as though you're stuck with me now, Remus."

Remus' smile widened slightly. "I don't have a problem with that if you don't, sir," he replied, his expression open and earnest as he gazed at Severus.

The way Remus was looking at him made Severus long to pull him into his arms and kiss him until he had no doubts whatsoever about exactly what Severus' feelings were. But this wasn't the place or time, and so he had to content himself with a small smile of his own. "No, I don't have a problem with that," he said. "No problem at all."


	4. Chapter 4

Severus sighed in relief as he sat back in his favorite chair, a hot cup of tea and a plate of biscuits - courtesy of Remus - on the table at his elbow. It was wonderful to be back at home, to know that he wasn't going to have to trudge through miles of jungle with the looming threat of mudslides, lightning strikes, and flash floods hanging over his head. The back-to-nature aficionados could have the blasted out-of-doors as far as he was concerned; he'd take his comfortable home and his full stocked kitchen any day, happy to keep all his adventuring to the culinary variety.

They'd arrived back in England the day before, the studio having decided that the special on peppers could be postponed until a later date. Severus hadn't argued, more than happy to get back to civilization; besides, now that they were home, he could begin his seduction of Remus without worrying about shooting schedules and camera crews.

Picking up his tea, Severus sipped it as he considered his options. Fortunately neither of them was terribly susceptible to jet lag, so he was quite prepared to start with his plans at once. He'd spent his morning at his physician's office - both Remus and Regulus had been most insistent that he be checked out so make certain he wasn't in danger of a recurrence of his bronchitis - but it was only early afternoon, so he had time to prepare a gourmet dinner, complete with something decadent, sinful, and seductive for dessert. He'd stopped after his appointment and picked up a few gifts for Remus; all he had to do now was figure out if Remus was interested in moving from a professional relationship to a personal one.

Finishing off his tea, Severus stood and went in search of Remus. He had a plan, and the first thing he had to do was issue an invitation. He found Remus in the home office, in which Remus spent more time than Severus usually did. Remus sat behind the desk, his glasses perched on his freckled nose as he stared at the computer screen, either catching up on Severus' email or Severus' bills or perhaps both. He glanced up when Severus entered the room and gave him a questioning look.

"Did you need something, sir?" he asked. "More tea or biscuits, perhaps?"

"No tea or biscuits, thank you," Severus said, moving to perch on the edge of the big wooden desk, facing Remus and giving him an enigmatic smile. "But I do need something; your presence for dinner tonight. I know we only just returned and you might have made other plans, but if you haven't, would you join me? I have something rather special in mind that I'd like you to give me your opinion on."

Remus blinked, appearing surprised by the invitation, but he nodded and smiled, seeming pleased as well. "No, I don't have any plans. What time? And..." He glanced down at himself briefly. "Do I need to dress differently or contact anyone else for you? I can have the invitations out in a few minutes."

Severus raised a brow and shook his head; apparently he hadn't been clear enough. "No, no invitations," he said, his mouth quirking slightly. "And you're dressed fine. Don't you remember promising me a dinner when we got back? It will be just the two of us; I want to do something very special for you."

"Oh..." Remus went wide-eyed behind his glasses. "Yes, I remember, but you don't really owe me anything, sir. I don't want you to feel like you're in my debt or that you have to repay me in some way."

Severus let his expression become crestfallen. "Well, if you don't want to, I won't force you," he said, giving a sigh. He wasn't above using any tool at his disposal to get Remus to agree; all was far in love and war, after all. "I suppose I could call Regulus..."

"I didn't say I didn't want to," Remus said quickly, and then he glanced down, a flush rising in his cheeks. "I only meant I don't want you to feel obligated to me. I didn't do anything because I wanted or expected compensation from you."

"I know that," Severus replied, pressing his advantage. He chuckled wickedly. "And when have you ever known me to do something out of a sense of obligation? I assure you I'm doing this because it is what I wish to do. If it makes you feel any better, though, I'll promise to keep the conversation all about me and act like a completely self-indulgent prat. Or, in other words, like my normal self. How does that sound?"

Remus chuckled quietly and seemed to relax a little at that. "All right, then," he said. "What time?"

"Six," Severus said, pleased that Remus had finally agreed. He rose to his feet. "And before then, unfortunately, I need you to run some errands for me, if you will. There are some rather rare spices I need for the next show, and since we've moved up the production schedule, we'll need them sooner than anticipated. I don't trust those idiots at the studio to get what I need, so could I prevail upon you to do it?"

"Of course, sir." Remus smiled as he shut down the computer and rose to his feet. "If you have a list ready, I can leave right now."

"Let me put it together." Severus picked up paper and a pen from the desk top, and began to write out a wide variety of spices that he thought would have Remus running from one end of London to another for the next few hours. Or at least he hoped it would; given how efficient Remus was, it would be just like him to have it done in a half hour and show up in the middle of Severus enacting his nefarious plans. Unfortunately, however, Severus couldn't think of any other way to get Remus out of the house while he arranged things, so he just had to hope it would take as much time as he needed.

Folding the paper, he passed it to Remus. "You don't have to rush, by the way. If you have any errands of your own, don't hesitate to take the time you need to do them. You also don't have to get all of them today. Just be back in time for dinner, all right?"

Remus accepted the slip of paper and tucked it into the pocket of his cardigan. "Yes, sir, I will, and if you think of anything you left off the list, I'll have my mobile with me as usual," he said as he headed for the door.

"Don't worry, I will," Severus replied. He couldn't help his eyes lingering on Remus' arse as he moved away, remembering just how good Remus had looked in those boxer-briefs. With any luck, he'd get an even better view soon; if he were _really_ lucky, he'd actually be allowed to touch. "In fact, let me know before you head back, would you? Just in case I get absorbed?"

"Yes, sir." Remus gave a jaunty little salute just before he disappeared from sight.

Severus watched him go, then reached out to pick up the phone, quickly dialing the studio. He knew exactly what he wanted, and he would stop at nothing to get it. Only Remus himself could stop him now, but Severus had high hopes that Remus might learn to return his feelings. Perhaps it was just wishful thinking on his part, but Severus had come to feel that every time Remus called him "sir," the word might just as well have been an endearment. 

"Hello, Deirdre? Severus Snape. Look, I remember you did that Arabian Nights set for the travel special, right? Well, here's what I want you to do... and I don't care what it costs..."

* * *

Despite the fact that he sat down and plotted his route before leaving, Remus didn't finish his appointed task for several hours, and when he called to let Severus know he was on his way back, it was almost dinner time. He had barely fifteen minutes to put his purchases in the office where he'd remember to take them to the studio and check to make certain he wasn't too rumpled. It didn't really matter, he supposed, since there wouldn't be any other guests, and Severus had certainly seen him looking worse, but it was a sop to his fastidious soul.

At six o'clock on the dot, he went in search of Severus, checking the dining room first. Severus was there, standing by the sideboard holding two wineglasses. He was dressed in soft, pleated black trousers and a loose white shirt that wasn't tucked in, the sleeves rolled up to expose his forearms. His hair was down, which was rather unusual, since he tied it back while cooking, but he looked more as though he'd just come from the bath rather than from the kitchen.

"Impeccable timing, as usual," Severus said, stepping toward him with a slight smile. He offered Remus one of the glasses. "Pomegranate wine. An unusual beverage, but I think you'll find it appropriate, as I have a most unusual dinner in store."

Remus took in the sight with growing surprise; he hadn't expected anything like this, and he hoped Severus didn't really feel like he was indebted, despite his protests to the contrary. But he smiled gamely and accepted the glass.

"Pomegranate, eh? Should I be worried?" he asked lightly.

Severus chuckled. "Perhaps," he drawled, taking a sip of his own wine. "Though you've already said you weren't looking to leave me, so it seems unnecessary to bind you as Persephone was bound." He paused, his eyes glinting wickedly. "Then again, why take chances?"

"You needn't resort to trickery," Remus replied, tasting the wine at last. "I'm not planning to leave unless you ask me to, and I think we both know the chances of you finding a decent replacement if you did give me the sack."

"You are irreplaceable." Severus' voice was slightly husky, and he was looking at Remus with an odd intensity. "For more reasons than one, and believe me, I've no plans to ever ask you to leave." He motioned toward the doorway. "So, are you ready for a unique experience? I am very interested to see what you think of my efforts."

"My palate isn't as refined as yours, but I'll do my best," Remus said, smiling. Perhaps Severus had taken his suggestion to incorporate elements of their rain forest experience into the menu of Le Prince and wanted a second opinion of his new dishes. "Lead the way."

Severus nodded, then sauntered out of the dining room, turning down the hall and passing the kitchen. On the other side there was only one room, a relatively small one that Severus had used to store boxes of extra cookware and not much else. Smiling, Severus opened the door, and gestured for Remus to enter. 

"I've done a little remodeling," he said. "After our little bout of roughing it in the jungle, I decided that we needed a bit of decadence to offset it."

Gone were the boxes which had been stacked along the walls of the room; in fact, the walls themselves weren't visible, either, covered as they were by following draperies in rich jewel tones. The wood of the floor had been covered by a thick Oriental carpet in greens and blues, and a low table sat in the middle of it, surrounded by veritable mountains of pillows. There were other low tables in the back of the room, holding chafing dishes which emitted spicy, exotic aromas, and braziers hanging from the ceiling to provide indirect, subdued light.

"So, what do you think?" Severus asked from close behind him. 

Remus' eyes grew wide and round as he tried to keep from boggling at the exotic sight. "Er..." He swallowed hard, trying to figure out why Severus had set up all this just for a tasting. "Well, it's very scenic," he said, still staring. "You really didn't have to go to all this trouble, though. I thought this would be a simple dinner."

"A simple dinner, and relatively simple surroundings," Severus replied. "A low table, some pillows, some curtains... it's not Louis XIV sideboards or Chippendale tables. The question is... do you _like_ it?"

Remus didn't think there was anything simple about it, but he supposed he couldn't argue with the point that it could be fancier; he wasn't entirely sure he was comfortable given the sensual nature of the scene before him, but it was obvious Severus had gone to some trouble, and he didn't want to be ungracious. "Yes, it's nice," he said reassuringly. "It just wasn't what I expected when you asked me to have dinner with you, that's all."

"At least I can still surprise you," Severus said, chuckling softly. "I was beginning to wonder, since you often know me better than I know myself." He touched Remus on his waist, urging him forward. "I hope you like Middle Eastern food; it's relatively simple, but full of flavor and rich in history. Have a seat, and I'll serve you."

"I do like Middle Eastern food," Remus replied as he moved toward the table, eying the piles of pillows dubiously. He picked a short pile and sat down carefully, not wanting to make an idiot of himself with gracelessness. "Really, though, you don't have to serve me," he added earnestly. Being served by Severus would be an odd reversal he wasn't sure he was comfortable with. "You're the boss, I'm the employee. If anything, I should serve you."

Severus gave Remus an oddly intense look. "Do you think there could ever be a time where we weren't employer and employee?" he asked quietly. "An... after-hours, as it were, where you could think of me just as Severus the man, rather than Severus your boss?"

Remus' heart lurched in his chest at that, but he sternly reminded himself not to start nursing silly fantasies when the chances were high that Severus didn't mean it like _that_. "Well, it's rather difficult to humanize someone so much larger than life as yourself," he joked lightly. "But perhaps I could, if that was what you really wanted. It wouldn't be easy, I don't think, after so many years of being your employee, and I wouldn't want to behave in any way that's inappropriate." He paused, fixing Severus with a serious look. "I'd rather you were absolutely certain it was what you wanted before you asked it of me, though, because it wouldn't be easy for me or particularly fair if you decided you like me better as a twenty-four/seven employee and changed your mind."

The "larger than life" comment earned a snort, but Severus seemed to relax a bit. He nodded in understanding. "I assure you that I am certain this is what I want, and I have absolute faith in your ability to behave appropriately, no matter what the given situation. Unlike me." Severus tilted his chin up, but his eyes gleamed with amusement. Then he grew more serious as well. "I promise you that I'm not about to change my mind, either, because I do want to be fair to you. I know I'm not an easy man to get along with, and I'm choosy about whom I associate with, but I like to think that I'm loyal to those who manage to get close to me." Severus drew in a deep breath. "And if you decide that being my friend as well as my employee is too difficult, then I want you to tell me. I'll not lose you from my life, Remus, and especially not because of my own ill nature."

Remus breathed a little easier at that; perhaps Severus considered what happened in Parazuela to be a bonding experience between them, and Remus took it as the compliment it was no doubt intended to be that Severus was willing to consider him a friend as well as an assistant. He was proud, in fact, that Severus considered him worthy of the honor.

"After five years, I'm pretty familiar with your nature, both the good and the ill," he pointed out, smiling to take any possible sting from his words. "If I haven't run away screaming by now, it isn't likely I'll do so in future. You won't lose me, sir, especially not because of your nature."

"Excellent." His answer seemed to please Severus a great deal, and Severus moved toward the chafing dishes. "Since we're friends, I believe we can dispense with the argument over who will serve whom, correct? Your work day is over, and you have graciously consented to be my guest for dinner; therefore I am claiming my right as host to see to your meal." He looked back over his shoulder, one brow raised and a teasing glint in his eyes. "Unless you wish to wrestle me for the honor; if so, I warn you that I refuse to fight fair, and that includes resorting to tickling."

Remus felt a rush of heat in his face at the thought of wrestling with Severus, and he tried to clear his head of that idea immediately. After years of taking care of Severus and catering to his every whim, Remus found it difficult to relinquish the habit and let Severus serve him, but he couldn't think of any plausible counter-argument, and so he nodded.

"All right, I'll try to be a well-behaved guest," he replied, placing his wineglass on the table before the temptation to down it overcame him. "What are we having?"

Severus began to uncover the dishes, then picked up a plate from one end. "Lamb kabobs, couscous, bread, broiled vegetables," he replied as he dished up a plate. "Mostly finger foods, actually, except for the couscous. Eat as much as you want, but you might want to save room for dessert." He bent down beside Remus and placed the plate in front of him, then chuckled quietly, his lips close to Remus' ear. "I made something special that I'm hoping you'll enjoy."

Remus ducked his head in an attempt to cover the shiver that wracked him at the feel of Severus' warm breath on his skin, and he fumbled for a napkin to drape in his lap. "I'm sure I will," he said gamely. "It all smells very good."

"Good!" Severus moved away, quickly preparing his own plate and taking a seat near Remus, rather than across the table. He passed over a basket of warm flatbread, and gestured to a bowl of tzatziki. "Help yourself. And don't hesitate to be brutally honest about anything you don't like." 

"All right," Remus agreed as he took a piece of bread and tucked in, focusing on the food instead of on Severus' proximity. He wasn't certain why Severus had chosen to sit beside rather than across from him, but he supposed friends did that.

Severus topped off their wine glasses, then began to eat as well. "If you think this kind of dining experience works, perhaps I'll think about it for the next restaurant," he said, gesturing at the room around them. "A follow on to Le Prince, perhaps? We could call it Sultana."

"Are you seriously considering another restaurant?" Remus asked, surprised. "I thought you might wait until after the programme ended for that."

"It takes a lot of ramp up time for a restaurant," Severus replied, giving a slight shrug. "Going from initial idea to completion can take years. Le Prince was different because that was my only focus at the time, and I threw all my energies into it. For this, I would turn over some of that detail work to others." He tilted his head at Remus. "Perhaps you, if you were interested in becoming a partner rather than remaining my assistant. Not that I am looking to move you away from me, but I want to make certain you're happy and feel as though you have opportunities."

" _Partner_?" Remus dropped his flat bread and stared at Severus, scarcely able to believe he'd heard what he thought he'd heard. "Are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious." Severus snorted and waved a hand. "You're more than capable of handling it, and I have utter faith in you and your abilities. I'm not going to force you into it, of course, but if you are interested, I see no reason not to do it."

"I'm interested," Remus said quickly. "I'm just surprised, that's all. I never expected you to make such an offer, not to me. Well, not to anyone, really. Are you sure about this? It seems awfully sudden. I never suspected you were looking for a partner or that you thought I'm capable of filling the role."

"Sudden? Perhaps." Severus picked up his wineglass. "But I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. I've realized that while I've achieved a certain degree of success, it isn't everything I want. Or it simply isn't _all_ that I want. Our experience in the jungle put some things in perspective for me, and made me aware of the types of things I've ignored in favor of my single-minded pursuit of my career. I want more. I want the things I've been missing for the last ten years."

"That makes sense," Remus replied, ignoring the sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He wondered if the other things meant a relationship and how high Regulus Black was on Severus' prospective romantic partner list. Perhaps Severus wanted Remus as a business partner in order to free up more time for a social life. "Well, it's a tempting offer. Now that you mention it, I suppose I ought to aim higher than being someone's personal assistant all my life."

Severus looked at him closely, seeming uncharacteristically pensive. "I hope you don't think I was insulting you," he said softly. "Believe me, that was the furthest thing from my mind. I want you to do what will make you feel happiest, and I certainly don't want to have you around less. I thought... well, I thought it was something we could work on together, if you were willing. You have hidden depths that I'm finding quite fascinating, and I thought that perhaps eventually you might find being my assistant too limiting. But I'm not about to complain if being my assistant is what you want to do. God knows that I'm a difficult bastard, so I don't think what you do is any simple job."

"Definitely not," Remus replied, smiling a little to show he wasn't trying to insult Severus in turn. He thought about the offer and what it might mean for him. As little as he wanted to risk spending less time with Severus, he knew he ought to aim higher. He did want to remain in the culinary world somehow, and he definitely wanted to remain with Severus; accepting the offer would provide him with new challenges while letting him continue working with Severus. On the whole, it seemed like a change for the better, especially since Severus had mentioned working together. "I appreciate the opportunity, sir, and if you have that much confidence in my ability to do well, I'd like to give it a try," he said at last.

"Good, good... we'll have plenty of time in the next few months to work out details and for you to decide what you'd like to take on," Severus replied. He took another deep drink of his wine, but oddly enough he didn't relax. "Could I ask you a question, and would you give me an honest answer, even if you think I won't like it? I promise I won't be angry at you, even if what you say isn't what I really want to hear. But I need the opinion of someone I trust completely."

Remus glanced at Severus, both curious and puzzled by the request, and he took a tiny sip of wine to fortify himself. "Of course, sir. I'll answer to the best of my ability."

A faint flush stained Severus' cheeks, and he cleared his throat. In all the years Remus had known him, he'd never seen Severus look as uncertain and vulnerable as he did now. "You know all my faults, my bad temper, my impatience," he murmured. "And I realize I'm hardly the most physically attractive man in the world. But do you think that... well, that anyone could ever be interested in me? Not simply for sex, but... as a partner?"

Remus was surprised that Severus, who seemed so self-confident, would even ask the question, and perhaps Remus was biased, but he had no trouble answering.

"Of course," he replied, his voice laced with incredulity. "Why wouldn't they? You may not be Hollywood handsome, but your features are striking and have character. You don't need a paper bag over your head by any means or they wouldn't have put you in front of a camera," he pointed out. "As for your personality... Well, perhaps it's an acquired taste, but if someone is so timid that they can't look past being intimidated, it's their loss. You're brilliant, intelligent, creative, and talented, and your temper is only aimed at those who don't live up to your standards. Any man ought to feel lucky if you take an interest in him."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, it occurred to Remus _why_ Severus might be asking, and he felt that awful lead weight in the pit of his stomach again.

"Really?" Severus drew in a deep breath, a smile quirking one corner of his mouth as he relaxed at last. "Thank you; hearing you say that makes me feel much better, because I know you wouldn't lie to me. I really needed to know, because... well, I never thought I'd say this, but I've had my eyes opened recently, and even though I wasn't looking, I have found that the person who is perfect for me was literally right under my nose all the time. I didn't even know I wanted a relationship, but then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I've been very, very blind for years, but I don't know if he feels the same about me. Or if he even could."

"Oh." Remus looked away, turning his gaze to his hands, which were clasped in his lap. He had no doubt who that person was: Regulus Black. As much as it hurt to think about, however, his sole desire was for Severus to be happy, and so he mustered a smile and looked up at Severus again. "I'm sure he does. Mr. Black seems very fond of you, and I don't doubt he would transition from friends to lovers quite happily if you asked him."

" _Regulus_?" Severus blinked, looking completely taken aback, his tone one of disbelief. "You think I'm interested in _Regulus Black_?"

Remus blink back at him, equally confused. "You aren't?"

"No!" Severus shook his head, but the vulnerability was back in his eyes. "I was talking about you! Who was with me in the jungle? Who has been there for me every day for the last five years? Who has put up with me, taken care of me, accepted me despite all my faults? Regulus is my friend, yes, but I don't want him, not that way. I want _you_!"

"Oh..." Remus couldn't speak, and he could barely breathe as he tried to process what Severus had said. He felt as if he was dreaming or perhaps had fallen down the rabbit hole to hear Severus speak the words he'd long to hear but never imagined he _would_ hear. "Are you sure? I'm just _me_. I'm not clever or brilliant or talented like you. I'm not handsome either, and I'm certainly not wealthy or charming. I know you're grateful for how I helped you in the jungle, but you never seemed to notice me before that, and I'd rather you didn't act in haste or out of gratitude. I don't think I could bear that."

"What?" Severus blinked again, then crossed his arms over his chest, his brow lowering in an expression of disgruntlement that Remus knew quite well. "Do you think I'm a complete idiot? When have you _ever_ known me to do anything out of a sense of gratitude? And since when have I ever settled for less than exactly what I want? I want you precisely because you are _just you_! If I'd wanted Regulus Black, I could have had him years ago, but I didn't! I didn't notice you because _I_ was obviously blind, but I had my eyes opened. If I was simply grateful to you, I'd have give you a raise or a bonus or a new car, not offered you... me." He drew in a deep breath. "I thought maybe you were interested in me in return. I'm sorry if I was wrong."

"No, no, you weren't wrong," Remus hastened to assure Severus, hating the thought of giving Severus any cause to doubt himself. "I _am_ interested. I have been for a very long time. I simply never imagined you might ever see me that way, too."

"Well, I do," Severus said. His lips still pouted, but the crankiness was belied by the way his eyes suddenly glittered. "Perhaps I've been an idiot for the last five years, but I've come to my senses at last. So what in the hell are you still doing sitting over there?"

"I'm not sure," Remus said somewhat dazedly. The last few minutes had been surreal, and he could scarcely believe that after all these years of fantasizing about Severus, his fantasy was becoming a reality. He was stunned to learn that Severus wanted _him_ of all people, and he felt on the verge of having the worst case of performance anxiety of his life. "What exactly did you have in mind?" he asked as he followed instructions and scooted his cushions closer to Severus'.

"I had planned on seducing you with wine and food and my scintillating wit, but I seem to have bollocksed that up," Severus replied dryly, but he leaned toward Remus as well, his gaze intense. "Why don't we start with a kiss, then, and see where it proceeds? Perhaps you'll decide the wanting was better than the having."

"Somehow I doubt that, sir," Remus murmured. He gazed at Severus, searching Severus' face, and he licked his lips nervously, apprehension roiling in his stomach as he thought about kissing Severus at long last. What if he was awful? What if he made a mess of it? What if Severus didn't like it? His heart was on the line, and he was terrified of ruining his chance with the man he loved.

But he couldn't turn tail and run now, and so he screwed up his courage and leaned forward to brush his lips against Severus' in a light, questioning kiss.

Severus met him half way, lifting a hand and resting it against Remus' neck, his thumb stroking the line of Remus' jaw. A small moan of pleasure escaped Severus' lips, and he didn't pull back, choosing instead to brush his tongue against Remus' bottom lip as though stealing a taste. It seemed as if Severus was having no difficulties making the transition from boss and assistant to... whatever this was, but after being careful to retain a respectful distance despite his own feelings, Remus was having a more difficult time forgetting that Severus was his boss. But his long-neglected libido was urging him to keep going, and so he nipped lightly at Severus' bottom lip and returned for another, deeper kiss.

That seemed to open the floodgates as far as Severus was concerned; he slid his hand behind Remus' neck, his other arm moving to encircle Remus' waist as he slid closer, parting his lips on a sigh of pleasure and inviting Remus' exploration. Remus accepted the invitation, slipping his tongue between Severus' lips as he wound his arms around Severus' waist and leaned closer.

Severus gave a hungry little growl, twining his tongue with Remus' and kissing him back hungrily. He used the leverage of his arm and the slipperiness of the pillows to pull Remus into his lap, wrapping his arms around Remus and holding him tightly. There was no mistaking the fact that Severus was aroused, and he ran his hands over Remus' back, caressing him from shoulders to hip. Remus was surprised by the move, but he didn't mind, and he certainly didn't object to being in closer contact with Severus; he arched against Severus' hands and smoothed his hands up and down the length of Severus' back in return as he continued the kiss, slow and deep.

When they pulled back at last, Severus' face was flushed, his eyes dark and deep. "More?" he asked, his voice a low, seductive purr. "Or have you had your fill?"

Remus licked his lips, the heat in his face letting him know he was as flushed as Severus, and he smiled as he shook his head. "I'm not sure I ever will," he admitted, scarcely able to believe he could say such things.

"Neither am I. You are delectable, and you leave me hungering for more," Severus replied. He chuckled, still running his hands over Remus' back. "You know I'm in the awkward position of actually having to thank that bloody idiot who marooned us? It took getting shaken out of my comfortable existence to wake me up enough to notice what was right before my eyes all the time."

"Then I owe him thanks, too," Remus replied. "I would never have violated the boss-employee trust, you know. I would rather have remained your assistant and never said anything than risk being sent away from you."

"Noble dolt," Severus said, but his tone was fond. "Perhaps you could have taken your shirt off, though... or worn the fedora. I think that might have opened my eyes a little earlier." He licked his lips. "Speaking of which... you have an absolutely gorgeous body. It's hardly fair to hide it under tweed the way you do."

Remus smiled bashfully at the compliment, pleased that Severus had noticed and liked what he'd seen. "I'm not the showy type, I'm afraid. I've always been more comfortable remaining behind the scenes and inconspicuous, which is why I've been happy to organize your life rather than get in front of the camera myself. The tweed is my way of not drawing attention to myself, I suppose."

A dark brow rose at that. "I hope that you'll be willing to show _me_ ," Severus drawled. "I assure you that you already have my undivided attention, and will have it for as long as you desire it." He moved one hand to the buttons of Remus' shirt, toying with them suggestively.

Remus could feel the flush rising in his cheeks again at hearing Severus say such things about _him_ , but he didn't hesitate to nod and begin unfastening the buttons of his shirt himself. "I'll show you anything you'd like to see, sir," he said huskily.

"When you call me sir like that, it makes me feel like a dirty old man debauching a schoolboy," Severus said, his eyes fastened on Remus' fingers as they undid the buttons. "But I want to see all of you. Every bit. And I want to touch, and taste, and listen as you moan in pleasure."

"Should I not call you that?" Remus asked, glancing at Severus uncertainly. He'd never called Severus anything else, and he wasn't certain what else _to_ call him.

"You can call me anything you like," Severus replied huskily. "Sexy, gorgeous, incredible, amazing... or maybe I'll just call you those things, hmm? They're true."

Remus chuckled softly and shook his head. "Nonsense, I'm just me," he replied as he finished unfastening the buttons and stripped off his shirt, tossing it aside.

"You're you... and all those other things too." Severus' voice was rough, and there was no mistaking the desire in his eyes. He ran his hands over Remus' chest with a delicate touch, exploring the angles and planes as though committing them to memory. Then he gave a small smirk and pushed Remus backward against the soft pillows, and lowered his head so that he could capture one of Remus' nipples between his lips.

Remus let out a startled sound, but he let himself fall back, and he couldn't hold back a low groan as Severus began to tease his nipple; he buried his fingers in Severus' hair, amazed to find himself where he was, amazed that _Severus_ was touching him. The only thing that didn't amaze him was that Severus' touch was just as perfect and pleasurable as he'd imagined it would be.

"So long," he murmured. "I've wanted this for so long..."

Severus raised his eyes, looking up at Remus as he laved his tongue over Remus' sensitive flesh. "Have you now?" he asked in a sultry tone, his warm breath flowing over Remus' skin. Severus moved one hand so that he could brush his fingers over Remus' other nipple, teasing it into a taut peak. "Tell me what you've wanted me to do to you, what you've imagined us sharing. I'll do my utmost to bring all your fantasies to life."

"It might be easier to list the things I _haven't_ thought about," Remus replied, chuckling breathlessly even as he arched beneath Severus' teasing fingers and tongue. "I've had a long time to think about you, si-" He cut himself off before he could say 'sir' again and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, I imagine that will be a difficult habit to break." He gazed at Severus, amazed to see desire in Severus' dark eyes and awareness of _him_ ; Severus had looked past and through him for so long, Remus could scarcely believe that Severus had seen him at last. "This really isn't a passing fancy, is it?" he asked, reaching out to brush Severus' cheek lightly with his fingertips. "I know it's the most foolish and soppy romantic cliche in the world to fall in love with your boss, but that's what I've done over the past five years, you see, and I can't be casual about this, and I can't simply bounce back if you decide it's not what you want after all. It's about more than fulfilling a sexual fantasy or two to me. It's _everything_ ," he said simply. 

Laying himself bare in such a way wasn't something Remus did easily, but this was far too important to him for him not to be honest and let Severus know exactly what he was getting into.

Severus left off his teasing, moving instead to lie next to Remus, pulling him closer. Severus looked down into his eyes, his expression intense yet open; more open, perhaps, than Remus had ever seen him before.

"This is not a game for me, either," Severus said. He moved one hand to cradle Remus' cheek, brushing his thumb across Remus' lips. "And it's not a passing fancy, I assure you. It started out as desire, I admit. Somehow when we were in that damned Jeep and I was almost thrown into your lap, I suddenly realized there was a man underneath all the tweed and efficiency." He smiled slightly. "It was like getting a splash of water in the face; my eyes were opened, and from that moment, I couldn't _not_ see you as an attractive, sexy man rather than just my assistant. But when I woke up next to you our last day in the jungle, I looked at you and... it all clicked. Not just desire - although I promise you I want you more than you can imagine - but... more. I realized you meant more to me than anyone else ever had. Maybe it was more sudden for me, but then again, perhaps it wasn't. Perhaps I've been falling in love with you for the last five years as well, as I came to rely on you and to allow you into my life in ways I've never allowed anyone in before. All I needed to do was wake up and see it for what it really was."

 _That_ was what Remus needed to hear, and he had no doubt that Severus meant it. After five years together, he knew Severus wasn't promiscuous or fickle, and it made an odd sort of sense that Severus, of all people, wouldn't realize when he was becoming to attached to someone. Remus knew there were few people who had Severus' regard and trust and whom Severus let get close; somehow, Remus had become one of those people, and he was fully aware of the honor. No matter what had happened or when and how, the bottom line was that Severus did care for him, and that was all Remus needed to know.

With a happy little growl, he captured Severus' face between his hands and dragged him down for a deep, thorough, and delightfully messy kiss.

Severus didn't hesitate to return the kiss, plundering Remus' mouth with eager hunger. His hands wandered over Remus' bare skin, exploring, teasing, nails raking lightly to arouse. Then Severus moved, rolling over on the mound of pillows and pulling Remus on top, so that Remus' weight pressed him down as Severus bucked upward, leaving Remus in no doubt as to the depth of Severus' desire. Smiling against Severus' lips, Remus settled snugly between Severus' legs and rocked against him, letting Severus feel exactly how much he was desired in return. He trailed little nipping kisses along the clean line of Severus' jaw to his earlobe, which he tugged lightly between his teeth.

"It took you long enough... sir," he whispered in Severus' ear, infusing the word with all the affection and heat he could.

He felt Severus shiver beneath him, and Severus' dark eyes were full of an answering fire. "It's not as though you were dangling yourself in front of me like a particularly tasty carrot," Severus replied, giving Remus a swat on the arse, then rubbing it to sooth any sting. "You putting tweed on that body is akin to me wrapping Kobe beef in a flour tortilla. How can you tell how delectable it is if you hide it away?"

Remus laughed outright at that, a rare occurrence for him, but he was too happy to hold anything back at the moment. "I didn't want to behave or dress inappropriately, especially when you never seemed to notice me at all," he replied mock-primly. "You were always too focused on heads of lettuce and buns made of yeast and flour instead."

Severus snorted. "I might have noticed earlier if you'd crawled into my lap," he said. "But shall we table the discussion on the whys and wherefores and celebrate the fact that we seem to have finally gotten it right? Now that I know what I've been missing I am most eager to sample all the delights you've been hiding away."

"They're all for you," Remus promised, bending his head to nuzzle Severus' throat as he began making short work of the remainder of Severus' shirt buttons. He hadn't been able to forget the image of Severus standing under that waterfall, and he was eager to get a better and closer view of what he'd glimpsed that day.

"Good, because I'm a greedy bastard and I want all of you. And I don't share." Severus arched his back as the shirt parted, putting himself on blatant display. "Anything you want, anything I can give you, is all yours."

For Remus, it was as if Christmas had come early, and he felt as if he'd been given the best present under the tree. He flattened his palm on Severus' chest and stroked gently, exploring the planes and angles he'd longed to see and touch for years, and then he slid his hand lower, flashing a cheeky grin at Severus as he cupped Severus' arousal and squeezed lightly. "I want this, for starters," he said.

Severus gasped, pressing up against Remus' hand. "You can have it, any way you want it," he replied, his voice rough and breathless. Reaching out, he ran his hands over Remus' chest, seeming unable to get enough of touching him in return. "Just remember that turn about is fair play, and I want my chance to make you writhe and scream."

"Oh, _yes_ , sir," Remus replied eagerly. "As you wish."

Sitting up, he began unfastening Severus' trousers and helped him out of both trousers and underpants swiftly; Remus licked his lips with anticipation as he let his gaze roam Severus' body at a leisurely pace, looking his fill before finally reaching out to touch, skimming his fingertips along Severus' abdomen and then finally curling his fingers around Severus' hard length, humming with pleasure as he stroked slowly, not in any hurry at the moment.

A moan escaped Severus, and his head fell back against the pillows as he gave himself over to Remus' ministrations. Severus licked his lips as he looked up at Remus, his face flushed. "Oh, yes," he murmured, letting Remus see his enjoyment. "It feels so good. Perfect!"

"Good," Remus murmured, smiling down at Severus with all the affection he felt shining in his eyes. "But I can make you feel even better," he added as he scooted back and stretched out on his stomach, and then he slowly engulfed Severus in the wet heat of his mouth, wanting to taste as well as feel, wanting to experience Severus in every way possible.

Severus cried out, his fingers tangling in Remus' hair as he trembled, obviously having to hold himself in check. "More perfect," he gasped, stroking Remus' head. He was breathing hard, and he looked down the length of his body to hold Remus' gaze, looking completely wanton. "Yes... oh, yes, please... Remus!"

Having Severus begging and losing control beneath him was nearly enough to send Remus over the edge himself; he had fantasized about what Severus might look like as Remus did his best to drive Severus out of his mind, but the reality was even more alluring than Remus' most vivid imaginings. Severus' moans spurred Remus to offer every pleasure and to use every skill at his disposal to heighten Severus' arousal, and he gave himself over to Severus' pleasure and need entirely, focusing with single-minded intensity on driving Severus utterly mad.

He must have succeeded, for Severus surrendered all control, uttering a litany of "yes" and "Remus" mixed with inarticulate moans. He writhed on the pillows, then cried out, his body going taut as he came completely undone. Moaning happily, Remus savored the full experience and drew back with reluctance, glad that this was only the first time of many that he would be able to taste Severus - his new favorite flavor.

He felt rather pleased with himself as he crawled back up the length of Severus' body and bent to kiss him again, humming happily. "Delicious," he murmured against Severus' lips, unable to keep from smiling.

Severus' eyes were half-lidded, and a sated smile played upon his lips. He kissed Remus back, wrapping his arms around him and holding him tightly. "Incredible," he replied, then gave a breathless chuckle. "You neglected to list that on your CV, Mr. Lupin. A gross oversight, but I'm willing to forgive you because the results were spectacular."

"I'm glad you found my work satisfactory," Remus replied, drinking in the sight of Severus' post-coital satiation. "There are other things in that particular skill set that I hope you'll find satisfactory as well."

"I look forward to discovering all these hidden talents of yours," Severus murmured. His smile turned wicked, and he rolled them over again so that he was on top. "But for the moment, I believe I owe you a demonstration of my own abilities. You know what a competitive man I am. I simply have to do my best to exceed your expectations." Lifting himself up, Severus dispensed with the remainder of Remus' clothing, then let his eyes and hands wander over Remus' bare skin, his eyes glinting in pleasure. "So gorgeous," he said, stroking Remus' chest before his hands wandered lower. "A visual feast."

Remus arched up against Severus' hand, seeking more contact; he hadn't had a lover since before he'd come to work for Severus, and his skin soaked up the welcome touches greedily and craved more. "Devour me in any way you wish," he replied huskily, his inhibitions melting away with each stroke of Severus' fingers until he was willing to put himself on shameless display for Severus' pleasure.

"Oh, I intend to do so." Severus gave a smug smile. "But first, I've been a very neglectful host. You've not had dessert, and neither have I. So..."

Severus moved away briefly, then was back, kneeling next to Remus and holding a small bowl. He dipped in a finger, bringing it up coated with rich dark chocolate. "Seems to me that someone told me he had an absolute addiction to a certain sweet." He brushed his finger against Remus' lips, smearing them as he leaned down. "So what do you think? I decided that chocolate covered Remus was the absolute perfect dessert - rich and sweet and satisfying, yet always leaving one wanting more."

Remus didn't hesitate to draw Severus' finger between his lips, sucking suggestively and swirling his tongue around it. "Dark chocolate," he noted, licking his lips to get more of the chocolate. "Perfect! I'm happy to indulge you in whatever dessert you like. I may develop a taste for chocolate covered Severus myself."

"I believe that could be arranged," Severus replied with a smirk. He leaned down to lick a bit of chocolate from the corner of Remus' lips. "But first, I want to sample you in the way you sampled me."

With that, he drew a line of chocolate down the side of Remus' neck with his finger, then moved to lap it away with broad swipes of his tongue while he hummed in pleasure. "Delicious," he murmured against Remus' skin. "Just as delectable as I'd imagined."

Winding his arms around Severus, Remus held on tightly, savoring the feel of Severus' body in his arms, so deliciously aligned against his own, and he tipped his chin up, shivering at the rasp of Severus' warm tongue against his skin. "Good," he murmured. "It feels good to me, too."

"Excellent - that's exactly what I want." Severus' voice was low and seductive. "You taste good - positively sinful. Addictive, too." 

Severus' finger encircled each of Remus' nipples, spreading the warm confection over them. Then Severus moved down Remus' body, tasting Remus' bare skin along the way, before he took one of Remus' nipples between his lips again, sucking away the chocolate and apparently doing his best to drive Remus insane in the process - and it was working. Remus arched his back and moaned, hiding nothing of the pleasure he found in Severus' touch; he could feel a flush of arousal washing over him from head to toe as his need escalated to nearly unbearable heights, and it wasn't long before he was whimpering and begging softly for more.

"You'll have more, I promise," Severus replied. He trailed his fingers down Remus' body, tongue following in their wake, until he knelt between Remus' legs. He smiled, trailing a drizzle of chocolate over Remus' arousal, then bent his head, holding Remus' eyes as he removed it with one long, slow lick from bottom to tip. "So delicious... I think I'll have more." With that, Severus parted his lips and slowly, slowly took Remus into his mouth, humming as he surrounded Remus in wet heat.

Remus cried out, his eyes flying open wide at the intensity; in all his fantasies of Severus doing exactly _this_ , he had never imagined the exquisite pleasure the reality would give him, and he buried his fingers in Severus' hair, moaning a litany of "yes" and "please" as his need swelled to the point of desperation.

As though sensing Remus' need, Severus left off his teasing. He curved his hands around Remus' hips and moved his head, engulfing Remus and releasing him in a tempo that began slow, but then built quickly. Severus hummed again, adding another layer to the sensations he was giving Remus, not hesitating or holding back anything as he drove Remus toward the edge. Overwhelmed by the onslaught of sensation, Remus surrendered to ecstasy, letting it sweep him over the edge, and he clung to Severus as his steadying anchor in the throes of his wild release.

Shuddering in the aftermath, he collapsed limply and lay on the cushions, gasping for breath as his heart threatened to pound out of his chest. "Brilliant," he murmured once he'd recovered enough to speak. "Absolutely bloody brilliant."

Severus crawled through the pillows, stretching out beside Remus and pulling him into his arms. He pressed his lips to Remus', kissing him softly, then nuzzled his nose against Remus' cheek. "So are you," he said, stroking Remus' damp back and giving a contented sigh. "I don't think I want to move from here for a week."

"Neither do I," Remus replied, winding his arms around Severus and snuggling happily. "Although they're going to send the new shooting schedule in the morning, and you have a meeting with your producer tomorrow afternoon," he added, smiling mischievously. "So we have to make the most of tonight."

"Hmphf." Severus scowled, obviously not pleased, and he tightened his arms around Remus as though fully prepared to keep him there by force. Then he blinked and chuckled ruefully. "That reminds me. I have a gift for you. Or for us, I suppose is closer to the truth. I was so hopeful that you'd be amenable to the thought of the restaurant and to being my partner - in all ways - that I bought two of those PDA phone things. They told me at the shop that you'll be able to put a calendar on it for us and keep our schedules synchronized, as well as keep track of where we both are at any given time." He raised a brow. "How does that sound? When you have to leave me to fend for myself, you can still nag me to do what I'm supposed to do."

"Assuming you don't just turn off your phone so you can ignore my texts and alarms," Remus replied archly. "Somehow, I think nagging you in person will still be the best way to get results, but I'd love to have a calendar I can keep synchronized." He leaned in to give Severus a grateful kiss. "And I'd love being your partner in every possible way even more."

"I'd love that as well," Severus said, giving a snort of amusement. "And I have no doubt you'll find plenty of excuses to nag me in person - although not as my assistant any longer." He looked down at Remus, his expression challenging. "I'm terminating your employment, Mr. Lupin, but on the condition that you agree to be my partner legally as well as in business. I feel the odd desire to have you make an honest man of me."

"I accept," Remus said without hesitation, unable to hold back the wide grin that threatened to split his face, and he tightened his arms around Severus, scarcely able to believe that all his dreams had come true in one fell swoop thanks to Severus. "Making an honest man of you is the least I can do, although _you_ seduced _me_ ," he pointed out playfully. "Nonetheless, I intend to remain by your side for the rest of my life whether I'm legally bound to you or not, so we might as well make it official."

"Good." Severus looked smug. "And if you want to seduce me just to satisfy your sense of propriety, I'm more than willing to cooperate. In fact, we could adjourn to my bedroom - _our_ bedroom - and I'll let you have your wicked way with me."

"As you wish, sir," Remus replied, his smile turning mischievous. "Just don't forget to bring the chocolate."

* * *

"Hey, Diego, you have a box from England!"

Diego glanced around the hood of his Jeep, wiping sweat from his brow as he looked at his wife. "I didn't order anything!" 

Consuela shrugged, pointing to the large, brown paper wrapped package on the edge of their porch, which was colored with a multitude of international stamps and customs stickers. Diego frowned as he read the label, but there was no mistaking that it was addressed to him. "I wonder what it is?"

"I don't know, but it's not going anywhere, so open it already!" she scolded him.

"Fine, fine," he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a folding knife. In short order, he'd stripped off the paper, then lifted the lid from the box within. "Hey, it's food! What is this stuff? It looks fancy!"

"It does!" Consuela bent down, poking through the tins and packages of expensive treats, her smile one of pleasure. "I'm not sure what half of it is, but at least it will be different! Oh, look - there's a box of tools in here as well!"

"What?" Diego peered at the smaller box, then grinned. "Yes, tools! Nice ones, it seems! Just what I need for working on the Jeep!"

"Who would have sent you this?" Consuela asked, continuing to dig through the box. "Did you do someone a favor?"

"No..." Diego considered, frowning thoughtfully. "There are the touristas, of course, and the researchers from the University, but none of them..." His voice trailed off, his eyes widening as Consuela held up something that had been buried at the bottom of the box. It was a bright yellow book with black writing on the cover, with the title emblazoned in Spanish.

 _Driving for Dummies_.

"No! No!" Diego stomped his foot, realization dawning. "Throw it all away! It's from that crazy Englishman, the one who insulted me!"

"The one you dumped in the jungle?" Consuela snickered, remembering her husband's ire at the way the tall, pale man had treated him. Diego had felt perfectly justified in dumping them out of the Jeep, although he'd had a few scary moments when the men hadn't shown up in the village. They'd heard about the rescue, though, and no one had ever come to chastise Diego, so they'd all but forgotten the incident. Until now.

"Yes! He was so insulting! As though I could help the condition of the road!" Diego seethed, his indignation over the incident - now six months in the past - flaring anew. "I don't know why he sent this, but I won't have it! It's a slap in the face! Throw it all away!"

Consuela sighed and shook her head. "Don't be an idiot, dear. It doesn't matter why he sent it, and he won't care if you throw it away. He won't even know. I, for one, am going to enjoy a few rare treats, and I suggest you do the same."

Diego scowled, but he knew his wife had a point. She was an intensely practical woman, and they had few enough luxuries. He would try them, but he didn't have to _like_ them.

"Fine, fine," he groused, then bent to pick up the box. "But get rid of that book!"

"What, are you crazy?" Consuela shook her head. "Diego, you are an excellent husband, but the Englishman was right: you really are a terrible driver!"

-end-


End file.
